Everything You Need To Know About The FortiNAC Solution
The projected revenue of the global network access control market is expected to grow significantly, from $2.4 billion in 2022 to a staggering $35.3 billion by the year 2033.
Why does this statistic matter?
In short: the growth is due to the tremendous need for network access control, which will grow substantially in coming years. Clearly, it’s worth paying attention to!
Whether you’re making IT decisions for a school system, a law firm, a small business, or another organization, you need to be well-versed in what network access control (NAC) is and why you should be paying attention.
After covering the basics of NAC, we’ll dive into why Fortinet’s FortiNAC is the solution you’ve been looking for.
The Importance Of Network Access Control
What Is Network Access Control (NAC)?
Network Access Control (NAC) solutions offer a means to efficiently handle network resource access.
They provide network managers with comprehensive visibility of all devices and users, empowering technicians to enforce security policies throughout the entire corporate network.
Typically, NAC encompasses tools for authenticating and authorizing network users to access designated resources. These fundamental capabilities are complemented by various threat response methods, such as quarantine, access denial, or restricted access.
By combining these essential features, NAC solutions ensure robust security measures and efficient network management.
Why is NAC Important?
Network Access Control (NAC) plays a vital role in ensuring the security, integrity, and compliance of an organization’s network environment.
Here are some key reasons why NAC is important:
- Prevents unauthorized access to the network by enforcing authentication and access control policies.
- Provides visibility into the devices connected to the network, including endpoints, IoT devices, and users.
- Helps organizations meet compliance requirements by enforcing network segmentation, access controls, and audit trails.
- Allows organizations to securely onboard and manage guest users and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies.
- Allows for real-time threat detection and response.
- Provides network visibility and control, allowing organizations to optimize network performance and resource allocation.
6 Reasons Why Other Types Of NAC Don’t Measure Up
FortiNAC isn’t your only option for network access control. But there are many reasons it should be.
1. Comprehensive Visibility
FortiNAC provides deep visibility into the devices connected to the network, including IoT devices, endpoints, and users.
It offers detailed information about device types, operating systems, applications, and their behavior, allowing organizations to have a complete understanding of their network environment.
This comprehensive visibility helps in identifying potential security risks and ensuring compliance with network policies.
2. Granular Access Control
FortiNAC enables granular access control based on user identity, device type, and security posture.
It enforces access policies that dictate who’s allowed entrance to specific network resources and what level of access they have.
This allows organizations to implement fine-grained access controls and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or lateral movement within the network.
3. Integration With Security Ecosystem
FortiNAC seamlessly integrates with other security solutions within the Fortinet Security Fabric, including firewalls, endpoint protection, and threat intelligence.
This integration allows for coordinated threat response and automated enforcement of security policies based on real-time threat intelligence.
The unified security ecosystem enhances overall network security and reduces the risk of security breaches.
4. IoT Device Visibility and Control
FortiNAC has substantial capabilities for discovering, profiling, and controlling IoT devices on the network.
It can identify IoT devices, assess their security posture, and apply specific access policies based on device type, behavior, or manufacturer.
This helps organizations secure their IoT deployments and protect against potential vulnerabilities or unauthorized access through these devices.
5. Scalability And Flexibility
FortiNAC is designed to scale and adapt to the needs of organizations of all sizes. It can accommodate large and distributed networks, supporting thousands of devices and users.
FortiNAC also offers flexible deployment options, allowing organizations to choose between physical and virtual appliances or cloud-based deployments, depending on their requirements.
6. Streamlined Compliance
FortiNAC simplifies compliance with various regulatory standards and frameworks, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.
It provides the necessary controls and visibility to meet compliance requirements, such as network segmentation, user access controls, and audit trails. This ensures that organizations can adhere to industry regulations and maintain a secure and compliant network environment.
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of any NAC solution depends on the specific needs and requirements of an organization. Evaluating different NAC solutions, including FortiNAC, based on your organization’s unique network environment, security goals, and scalability needs is crucial to selecting the right solution.
The Proof That FortiNAC Works
Check out two case studies that show the real solutions FortiNAC has provided.
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler Unified School District, the second-largest school district in Arizona, serves around 44,000 students, employs 6,000 staff members, and operates across 50 campuses.
Over the past decade, the district has experienced a significant surge in the number of devices connected to its network, surpassing 75,000 devices.
In order to safeguard this expanding attack surface, encompassing student, staff, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the district implemented FortiNAC.
This deployment has empowered the district with heightened visibility and enhanced security measures.
To further bolster its security posture, the district seamlessly integrates FortiNAC with additional Fortinet solutions, taking a proactive approach rather than a purely reactive one when it comes to security.
Franciscan Health
Franciscan Health is a faith-based integrated healthcare provider operating across 14 hospitals and 350 satellite healthcare locations in Indiana and Illinois.
With a multitude of connected devices, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices and potentially insecure medical devices, safeguarding these assets and preventing unauthorized network access are crucial security objectives.
To effectively manage its diverse range of devices and improve device tracking, Franciscan Health partnered with Ordr, a Fortinet Fabric-Ready Partner. Ordr’s Systems Control Engine (SCE) solution plays a pivotal role by discovering and categorizing every connected device, profiling their behavior and associated risks.
This solution provides comprehensive visibility into the risk profiles of all network devices. Through seamless integration with FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) using open APIs, micro-segmentation is achieved throughout the network. Franciscan Health has also embraced the FortiNAC network access control solution as part of their latest initiative, enabling the implementation of more granular access policies.
Ultimately, the combined efforts of Ordr and Fortinet empower Franciscan Health to optimize its IT staff’s time utilization and proactively address security threats by enhancing visibility across their network infrastructure.
The FortiNAC Difference
FortiNAC is a cutting-edge access solution that ensures the supervision and safeguarding of all digital resources linked to the corporate network.
It encompasses a diverse array of devices, including IT, IoT, OT/ICS, and IoMT.
By augmenting the Fortinet Security Fabric, FortiNAC enhances network access control, offering comprehensive visibility, precise control, and automated response capabilities for all network-connected entities.
This powerful solution equips organizations with strong protection against IoT threats, extends control over third-party network devices, and enables seamless orchestration of automatic responses to a wide spectrum of network events.
Get in touch with us today for a free consultation!
