Find the best Network Access Control Software
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NordLayer is a remote network access solution for modern companies, particularly suitable for SMBs searching for an effective and agile way to update legacy infrastructure and implement profound Secure Service Edge (SSE) practices. It’s easily customizable...Read more about NordLayer
Foxpass is a cloud-based and on-premise platform that helps small to large enterprises automate threat detection and access control process across servers and networks. It provides local cache, which enables users to keep systems running during downtime an...Read more about Foxpass
UTunnel Secure Access offers a comprehensive suite of Cloud VPN, Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Mesh Networking solutions. This enables businesses to establish secure remote access for employees while ensuring encrypted site-to-site connectivity acr...Read more about UTunnel VPN
Stop ransomware! ThreatLocker helps organizations reduce their surface areas of attack with policy-driven endpoint security. Instead of only blocking known threats, block everything that is not explicitly trusted. Combine Allowlisting with Ringfencing app ...Read more about ThreatLocker
Control access to Google Workspace (G Suite) in a few clicks. Create user groups with custom login and logout rules. Block the use of the corporate account by time and location. Control the accesses made by the browser, cell phone, Outlook and others. Cre...Read more about Conecta Suite
Device42 is an asset management solution that enables IT administrators to track hardware, software, devices and networks. The key features includes automated data center management, service management, device discovery, asset tagging and password manageme...Read more about Device42
Perimeter 81 is the first Cybersecurity Experience Platform to streamline SASE through its groundbreaking ease-of-use and unified network security stack. With a global network of PoPs, Perimeter 81 offers secure network capabilities managed over our multi-...Read more about Perimeter 81
Genea Access Control is a cloud-based access control software designed to help small businesses to large enterprises ensure the security of access across building facilities. Key features include attendance reports, credential management, key assignment an...Read more about Genea Security
Pulseway is an integrated IT assets and network monitoring solution designed for IT administrators to remotely monitor and control their business IT resources. The solution supports multi-deployment architecture, allowing the users to choose either on-prem...Read more about Pulseway
Network configuration manager is a cloud-based and on-premise compliance management system that assists small to large sized organizations with network automation, device reliability enhancement and backup. Its key features include vulnerability assessment...Read more about SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
Powered by Zero Trust Architecture, Appgate secure access and cybersecurity solutions enable businesses to reduce risk and ensure network security within a digital environment. Serving more than 1,000 organizations across 40 countries, Appgate provides ent...Read more about Appgate SDP
PAM360 is a web-based privileged access management (PAM) solution that defends enterprises against privilege misuse by regulating access to sensitive company information. Through powerful privileged access governance, smoother workflow automation, advanced...Read more about ManageEngine PAM360
Teleport is a gateway for managing access to K8s clusters, Linux & Windows servers, databases, and applications. Teleport provides access control for all your cloud resources in one place. It simplifies the management of SSH keys and passwords, as well as...Read more about Teleport
Verkada is the leader in cloud-managed enterprise building security, enabling over 20,000 organizations worldwide to protect their people, assets and privacy. Designed with simplicity in mind, Verkada’s six product lines — video security cameras, door-base...Read more about Verkada
PureDome is a leading business VPN solution, dedicated to boosting network security for organizations and remote teams worldwide. With its easy-to-use interface and advanced security features, PureDome empowers businesses to protect sensitive data and comm...Read more about PureDome
Openpath is a cloud-based keyless door access control solution that helps small to large businesses across real estate, education, retail and various other sectors manage permissions and implement site-specific restrictions across various locations. Open...Read more about Openpath
Kentik is a cloud-based network management solution which assists network managers, network engineers and operators with data encryption and access control. Its key features include bandwidth monitoring, network diagnosis, performance metrics and anomaly d...Read more about Kentik
Carbon Black App Control is an on-premise compliance and access governance application that helps businesses streamline processes related to malware protection, downtime elimination, audit control, and more from within a unified platform. It allows supervi...Read more about Carbon Black App Control
VMware AppDefense is a workload protection solution that provides advanced security to workloads running on premises and in the cloud. By modeling intended application behavior and identifying anomalous activity early, AppDefense provides organizations con...Read more about VMware AppDefense
Banyan Security’s next-generation zero trust network access platform offers seamless remote access to corporate resources hosted on-premise or in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Banyan enhances security by reducing your attack surface, eliminating lat...Read more about Banyan Security
Free to try and up to 3 connected users - OpenVPN Access Server is a full-featured SSL VPN software solution that integrates OpenVPN server capabilities, enterprise management capabilities, simplified OpenVPN Connect UI, and OpenVPN Client software package...Read more about Access Server
NACVIEW is a network access control solution that provides visibility and control over all devices connecting to an organization's network. NACVIEW is designed for mid-size to large enterprises across industries such as healthcare, finance, education, and ...Read more about NACVIEW
Network Configuration Manager is a robust solution designed to empower network organizations with efficient network configuration and change management capabilities. It supports a wide range of network devices, including routers, switches, and firewalls, o...Read more about ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager
CloudConnexa eliminates the common complexity associated with scaling and managing network hardware, offering flexible and isolated private cloud networks under a singular owner account for streamlined management. Notably, CloudConnexa supports various use...Read more about CloudConnexa
SAP Access Control is an access management software designed to help businesses across various industry verticals, including banking, financial services, energy and natural resources, professional services, automotive, healthcare, retail, agribusiness and ...Read more about SAP Access Control
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Buyers Guide
This detailed guide will help you find and buy the right network access control (nac) software for you and your business.
Last Updated on March 16, 2023The increasing number of devices accessing corporate networks requires businesses to pay special attention to network security. However, deploying separate security solutions (antivirus, firewall, etc.) from different vendors can increase the complexity of network infrastructure and end up costing significantly on maintaining each of them.
Such challenges can be handled by deploying a centralized solution called network access control software. This software helps organizations keep unauthorized devices and users out of organizational networks. It controls who has access to what part of the network and helps track access details such as the time of access and the device used.
But given the many options available on the market, buying a network access control tool can be confusing. To help you figure out how to find the tool that matches your business needs, we’ve created this buyers guide that has all the essential information relating to network access control software.
Here’s what we'll cover:
What is network access control software?
Network access control software is a solution that helps organizations strengthen their network security by enforcing access policies for internal as well as external users and devices. These policies govern device authentication and endpoint configuration.
The solution grants users or devices access to organizational resources depending on the degree of authorization awarded to them. The right to grant, revoke, or block access on a case-by-case basis typically rests with the network administrators.
Network access control in Genian NAC Software (Source)
Common features of network access control software
The features vary by product or vendor but most network access control tools have the following in common:
Access controls/permissions | Authenticate and authorize individuals to access the information they are allowed to see and use based on their roles, devices, location, etc. |
Network security | Secure organization network by adopting preventive measures against unauthorized access, misuse, malfunction, modification, destruction, or improper disclosure. |
Policy creation | Define policies for network devices or users to follow in order to achieve business objectives. These include rules and specifications about how access to the network is managed, who may access information, and under what circumstances. |
Asset tracking | Track or scan all company-owned assets (in this case, devices) or those entering into the network, regardless of where they are located. This capability also allows blocking devices that show malicious behavior. |
Dashboard | Use a centralized dashboard to view insights into network traffic analysis, devices entering and leaving the network, suspicious behaviors, etc. |
Multiple authentication methods | Use more than one authentication method to authorize users to access company data, applications, and other resources via the organization network. |
Continuous monitoring | Continuously assess, discover, and classify users as they connect to the organizational network without disrupting business operations. This helps network and security administrators discover and mitigate security threats as and when they evolve. |
Multi-device support | Oversee all outside devices that join the network and access company resources. |
Third-party integration | Integrate with other third-party tools such as access governance tools and firewalls to enhance security policies. |
Remote access/control | Monitor and control access to the network from anywhere and at any time. This feature helps employees to work remotely while enjoying access to their organization’s computer or network. |
What type of buyer are you?
Before purchasing network access control software, you should assess which buyer category you belong to. The majority of buyers fall into the following categories:
Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) (up to 500 employees): SMBs need network access control to ensure the security of their organization network from outside devices and users. Due to budget constraints and lack of IT experts, they outsource some of their business processes such as accounting, IT services, and digital marketing to outside parties. This makes their network vulnerable to threats such as data breaches, noncompliances, and mishandling of sensitive information.
Investing in a network access control solution that has a low cost of implementation and features such as remote access control, authentication of devices, and incident response capabilities will be beneficial for buyers of this segment. This will help SMBs provide controlled access to users based on their role, device and location, and protect their data from outside attacks.
Large enterprises (over 500 employees): Unlike SMBs, large enterprises have a complex network infrastructure with a huge number of devices, applications, files, and other resources connected to each other. Additionally, such organizations are rapidly deploying internet of things (IoT) applications, automation and other IT initiatives related to data analytics—which means moving huge amounts of data over networks. This makes the security of IT networks essential for such organizations.
A fully featured network access control system that offers continuous monitoring of network access, encryption, and authentication features will be beneficial for this segment. They should opt for a tool that helps ensure all devices comply with organizational security requirements, sensitive information moving across are encrypted, and prevent unauthorized access to data.
Benefits of network access control software
Listed below are some benefits you can expect from using a network access control software tool:
Network visibility: Network access control solutions can help identify which devices exist on your network and who has access to them. The comprehensive view of the entire network allows administrators to detect the root cause of any issue and proactively assess them before they critically affect the organization’s infrastructure.
Achieving compliance: Network access control solutions help organizations meet compliance standards across many industries, such as HIPAA, SOX, NIST, and PCI-DSS. Network and security administrators can bring organization security policies into compliance with the help of such tools by conducting audits and checks on each user type, device type, and operating system.
Protect sensitive data: The aim of network access control solutions is to control access of devices and users to organization networks and infrastructure. This access control capability helps network administrators provide controlled or restricted access to data based on user role, time of day, location, application, etc.
Market trend to understand
Here’s a market trend to keep in mind when selecting a network access control software solution for your business:
The growing need for network access control software with the rise in bring your own device (BYOD): Nowadays, wireless networks and mobile technologies have introduced personal devices (via BYOD) into the workplace. Many businesses have also adopted the remote working trend. These businesses will need controls to ensure users and devices do not compromise the safety of the network. This has accelerated the need for network access control solutions to control outside devices and remote workers by ensuring they are configured for proper data protection.
Note: The application selected in this article is an example to show a feature in context and is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation. It has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.