Beyond NACs – Enhancing Network Security

In today’s dynamic cybersecurity landscape CISOs know that traditional NAC solutions which were so effective in combating the ever-evolving threat landscape, and as a key component of the organization’s zero trust architecture, leave gaps when it comes to a full network security protection.
The pervasive adoption of remote work arrangements, cloud service, BYOD, and the IoT devices proliferation have blurred network security boundaries, rendering NAC’s compensation controls limited. Moreover, financially implementing and maintaining NAC demands increasing budget and resources.

Sepio emerges as a transformative complementary, empowering CISOs to effectively safeguard their networks, or specific segments, encompassing all connected devices, without the complexities and constraints of traditional NAC approaches. In this paper you will learn about Sepio’s rapid and comprehensive device discovery, coupled with robust enforcement controls, all at a fraction of the cost and with simplified ongoing maintenance, makes it an ideal solution for organizations seeking holistic, effective, and adaptable network security tailored to today’s zero trust approach at rapid ROI.

Sepio’s ‘Like NAC’ Approach – A Streamlined and Efficient Solution

Sepio’s solution use case ‘Like NAC’ provides an effective approach to addresses NAC’s challenges by providing comprehensive network access control and up-to-date security discovery across the entire network along with programmatic compensation controls.

• Unmatched Visibility to enable Dynamic Discovery: Unlike traditional NAC solutions that struggle to identify IoT, OT, and peripheral devices, Sepio provides unmatched visibility for all connected devices. This aligns with the evolving cybersecurity standards that demand complete device visibility.
• Fraction of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Different from NAC’s complex and resource-intensive nature, ongoing manual maintenance, and adaptation to network security changes,  Sepio’s solution implementation is a fraction of NAC’s TCO.
• Control and Enforcement: Sepio’s solution provides straightforward enforcement policies that enable closure of compensation control gaps programmatically.

Implementing Sepio’s ‘Like NAC’

Given NAC’s challenges, CISOs face the critical question of how to address the original goals of NAC implementation. The answer may vary depending on whether an organization has already implemented NAC to its fullest extent or is still in the process of achieving full coverage:

Data Enrichment for Existing NAC Users

For organizations already utilizing NAC solutions, Sepio enhances their existing NAC capabilities, by providing with significantly enriched data such as; IoT, OT, and unmanaged devices, attack tools that spoofs MAC address. By augmenting existing NAC platforms like ForeScout®, CISCO ISE®, Aruba® and Portnox®, Sepio ensures their NAC deployments remain aligned with the latest cybersecurity industry standards. The following example shows the power of Sepio’s data enrichment. As one can see at the example below the NAC dashboard (in this case – ForeScout CounterAct®) indicates an asset as Axis IP camera. By leveraging Sepio’s data enrichment, it turns out that this is a Raspberry PI which spoofs the Axis IP camera.

Another notable limitation of NAC systems is their inability to detect unmanaged devices, MAC-less devices, unmanaged switches, or peripheral endpoints that don’t generate traffic. These devices create significant gaps in an organization’s zero-trust architecture and pose major security risks. Sepio bridges this critical gap by integrating with the organization’s SIEM, providing valuable device visibility even for these overlooked assets. This empowers CISOs to report on their presence, understand their risk profiles, and take appropriate actions. Additionally, Sepio provides real-time alerts to new devices joining the network. Whether temporary or permanent, while NAC systems might simply block them outright (or not). This continuous detection allows CISOs to make informed decisions about network security dynamic access changes.

Full or Partial NAC Alternative

For organizations that have not implemented NAC, or face with difficulties to complete the NAC rollout (e.g. remote branches), Sepio ‘Like-NAC’ capabilities should be considered as partial or full alternative to the NAC planned deployment. This approach would save significant costs, shorten deployment time dramatically, and close the gap of the organization zero-trust approach.

Conclusions

While traditional NAC solutions offer comprehensive features, their complexity often translates to extensive infrastructure, prolonged deployment timeline, specialized expertise, and significant financial investment. This can lead to incomplete security coverage and exposure to avoidable risks.

Sepio’s ‘Like-NAC’ use case addresses this challenge by providing:

• Rapid deployment and simplified management without sacrificing security effectiveness.
• Cost-effective alternative to rapidly achieve ROI.
• Augmentation of existing NAC deployments with valuable data for optimal protection.

Whether you have an established NAC solution or are just starting out, Sepio platform empowers you to:

• Eliminate blind spots and achieve comprehensive security by revealing all connected devices. Including unmanaged devices, MAC-less devices, peripherals, and even silent assets that don’t generate traffic.
• Stay ahead of evolving threats in dynamic environments with Sepio’s continuous, real-time, trafficless, visibility and flexible solutions. Adapt to changing network security landscapes while maintaining robust security.
• Protect your organization from avoidable risks with Sepio’s proven and easy-to-manage approach. Complete your zero-trust strategy with comprehensive compensation controls and ensure peace of mind.