New port-based access control technology in support of STIG

Cybersecurity, now a top priority at the Defense Department, includes many layers, one of them being network access control. NAC systems are being developed in response to the requirements of the Defense Information Systems Agency Access Control in Support of Information Systems Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG).

CounterACT, developed by ForeScout, meets the STIG's access control requirement with or without the need to first deploy 802.1X and is interoperable with existing remediation solutions and infrastructure requirements of the DOD. The technology is the first NAC solution on the Army Information Assurance Approved Products List and will be showcased at LandWarNet.

NAC controls access to a network with policies, including pre-admission endpoint security policy checks and post-admission controls over where users and devices can go on a network and what they can do. It unifies security technology such as antivirus, host intrusion prevention and vulnerability-assessment software as well as user or system authentication.

Key components of CounterACT include its agent-less approach and out-of-band monitoring. ForeScout’s customers include the Federal Aviation Administration and the government of Culpeper County, Va.