Microsoft NAP: NAC for the rest of us?

InfoWorld - Microsoft NAP is an effective network gatekeeper for Windows endpoints, but initial configuration is complex, policies are basic, and reporting is absent. NAP is best used as a core technology deployed in combination with others for a more complete, manageable, and scalable solution.

The universe of policy-based networking and systems management has evolved over the past few years, and the standards first created by the Trusted Computing Group, Cisco, and Microsoft have merged to create a generalized view of managing and enforcing policy. Although more capable and more polished solutions are available, Microsoft's Network Access Protection (NAP) will undoubtedly be the primary such technology in use in all-Windows environments, even with its limitations.

NAP comprises client and server subsystems with an enforcement architecture based on 802.1X, DHCP, or VPNs together with VLAN assignment within the network to isolate devices when appropriate. NAP services are provided in Windows Server 2008, with Windows Server 2008 R2 adding a few capabilities to the NAP support.

[ The Napera N24 network access control appliance brings NAP services to Windows and Mac endpoints -- sans Windows Server 2008 -- and it couldn't be easier to deploy. See the Test Center's review. ]

Client support is included in Windows Vista, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), and the Windows 7 Release Candidate. These client services provide posture gathering and reporting to Windows Server 2008 for enforcement and remediation decisions. The NAP components include the posture of the device in a way similar to Windows Security Center, with system update, anti-virus, firewall, and other security status reported back.

The NAP services then analyze the overall posture of each device, match that posture to the NAP policies in the Network Policy Server (NPS), and facilitate enforcement as outlined by those policies. NAP provides roughly the same access control services as third-party NAC solutions we've tested, but without many of the bells and whistles those solutions provide.

NAP in R2

Microsoft continues to develop new features for NAP and related security functions. A number of the improvements in Windows Server 2008 R2 make NAP deployment smoother: specifically the automated setup of the logging database, and multiple out-of-the-box configurations for the System Health Validator (SHV).

NAP requires the setup of multiple databases for administration and management of the overall system, one of which is the logging database. Prior to Windows Server 2008 R2, the logging database required extensive SQL-based configuration. This setup has been automated in R2, completely relieving the administrator of an onerous task.

Similarly, prior to R2, Windows Server 2008 provided only one SHV configuration, meaning that wholesale changes to the system health requirements had to be made universally. Now you can apply different policies based on a specific configuration of the SHV. For example, systems internal to your network may require that only the anti-virus component is current, while systems connected via VPN may require both anti-virus and antispyware be active.