GARTNER quoted :
“Expects to see 20 billion IoT devices and more than 65% of enterprises adopt IoT by 2020. Unfortunately , most of these devices have little or no protection at the software and infrastructure levels.”

Network Access Control (“NAC”) platform has been around for more than 15 years. Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for NAC Platform has also reached maturity and now they produce Market Guide for NAC platform.

Based on the listing of International Compliance Regulators on Table 1 above, six(6) of the CIS Basic Controls refers to Network Access Controls. Despite the maturity of this platform and the highly regarded compliance requirement, in my personal experience of 13 years in the IT industry, I have come across several companies in various verticals that continues to stay complacent on these Basic Controls. They either do not prioritise this as a mission critical requirement or totally find it a ‘nuisance’ to implement.

Truth to the matter, an NAC project in the past, would demand a lot of network configurations and a lot of time commitment from the IT Department. Common phrase amongst Networking team about NAC project, “You basically need to ‘renovate’ your house just to install a new ‘gate’ ”. Hence, some NAC projects hits the wall and some doesn’t even get to reach UAT stage. Implementation of an NAC project usually stretches from six to twelve and even fifteen months! The ones that are successful (UAT signed off) soon causes nightmares to the IT Department, particularly the Network team. The NAC technology back then was focused on Layer 3, hence the nightmare. Genian NAC comes with patented “Virtual In-Line Packet Inspection” that operates at Layer 2 and has complete control over endpoint device traffic over TCP and UDP thus eliminating the need for complex configurations involved in other NAC that using Switch port management, Switch port ACLs, Wireless Host Block and etc. These control mechanisms come in the form of additional plugins like Switch, Wireless, etc. Thus, it requires additional configurations and integrations into the networking devices.

Today, the Genian NAC advanced technology does not require any network configurations. It could be completed within one to three months. Genian NAC operates at Layer 2 and is in Distributed Deployment. Genian NAC uses non-disruptive sensors that connect into network without added complexity thus avoiding administrative overhead, operational and maintenance costs. Genian NAC detects the IP addresses and subnets to avoid all the complex configurations to monitor and to detect devices. IPAM, DHCP server like features in GENIANS NAC provide additional functionality to Network Operators making operations easy and take complete control over devices connecting into network without any blind spots or downtimes. Alas, no more nightmare. The latest NAC technology intelligently detects and identifies ALL IP-enabled devices on the network of its platform information and a detailed device information in real-time, How about that!

The latest NAC technology also comes with notifications of any critical technology systems that are nearing End-Of-Life (“EOL”) or are already running on EOL and it lists out the known vulnerabilities (CVE – common vulnerabilities & exposures). This would then provide IT Dept. proactive knowledge to take immediate remedial action. And this remedial action could also be automated once an NAC policy has been put in place. It is pre-designed. Thus one would not be caught unaware of any possible EOL vulnerabilities nor had to re-schedule that family holiday due to a vulnerabilities attack incident.

The recent RMiT Guideline by Bank Negara issued in June 2020 also included the requirement for continuous monitoring of the latest patch releases in a timely manner (S.10.63) and identification and risk assessment of all technology asset for potential vulnerabilities arising from undeployed patches or EOL system (S.10.65).

All these technical advancement in NAC technology ; that is also recognized by Frost & Sullivan, are ONLY available with GENIANS. It for these same reasons that PBG had chosen GENIANS to fill in the NAC gap market in Malaysia. And particularly in the financial sector per se as GENIANS guarantees a smooth NAC project that also (√) checks the two (2) the additional Bank Negara requirements (S. 10.63, S. 10.65).

Choosing GENIANS is the best possible option for organisations to achieve economic savings and technical benefit along with one centralized agent for NAC, Vulnerabilities, Asset Management, Patch Management, IPAM and Desktop Management.

We hope you will satisfy your curiosity by testing GENIANS before choosing another. We promised you would not be dissappointed.

Contact us at [email protected] to shedule a DEMO or Proof Of Value.
We would be more than happy to oblige.