FortiNAC is an endpoint visibility, control, and compliance solution developed by Fortinet, designed to provide comprehensive network access control (NAC) capabilities for organizations of all sizes. It enables organizations to monitor, manage, and secure the access of endpoints (such as computers, smartphones, IoT devices) to their network infrastructure, ensuring compliance with security policies and regulatory requirements.
Here are key aspects of FortiNAC:
Endpoint Visibility: FortiNAC provides real-time visibility into all devices connecting to the network, including managed and unmanaged endpoints, IoT devices, and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) devices. It identifies devices based on their MAC addresses, IP addresses, user identity, device type, operating system, and other attributes, allowing administrators to gain insights into the composition and behavior of their network.
Access Control: FortiNAC enforces access control policies to regulate the connectivity of endpoints based on predefined criteria such as device type, user identity, location, time of day, and compliance status. It dynamically assigns access privileges and enforces segmentation rules to restrict unauthorized access and mitigate the risk of lateral movement by malicious actors within the network.
Authentication and Authorization: FortiNAC supports various authentication methods, including 802.1X authentication, MAC authentication, web-based authentication, and certificate-based authentication, to verify the identity of endpoints before granting network access. It integrates with existing identity stores such as Microsoft Active Directory (AD), LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), and RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) for user authentication and authorization.
Compliance Assessment: FortiNAC conducts compliance assessments of endpoints to ensure that they meet security and regulatory requirements before being granted network access. It performs health checks, vulnerability scans, and configuration audits to identify security vulnerabilities, missing patches, unauthorized software, and other compliance issues, and takes appropriate actions to remediate non-compliant endpoints or quarantine them from the network.
Network Segmentation: FortiNAC supports network segmentation to isolate different types of devices and enforce least privilege access controls. It segments the network into multiple security zones or VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) based on the classification of endpoints, application requirements, and security policies, reducing the attack surface and containing the impact of security breaches.
Threat Response and Remediation: FortiNAC integrates with Fortinet's Security Fabric to share threat intelligence and coordinate response actions across the network. It detects and responds to security incidents in real-time, such as unauthorized access attempts, malware infections, and policy violations, by triggering automated responses, alerts, and remediation actions to mitigate risks and contain threats.
Centralized Management and Reporting: FortiNAC provides centralized management and reporting capabilities, allowing administrators to configure policies, monitor network activity, generate compliance reports, and investigate security incidents from a single console. It offers granular visibility and control over network access, enabling organizations to enforce security policies consistently and efficiently across distributed network environments.
Overall, FortiNAC helps organizations strengthen their security posture, enhance regulatory compliance, and reduce the risk of unauthorized access and insider threats by providing comprehensive network access control capabilities. It enables organizations to embrace digital transformation initiatives, support diverse endpoint environments, and adapt to evolving cybersecurity threats in today's dynamic network landscape.
