What is the general term for the policies, protocols, and hardware that authenticate and authorize access to a network at the device level?

What is the general term for the policies, protocols, and hardware that authenticate and authorize access to a network at the device level?

• A. Network access control (NAC)
• B. EAP over LAN (EAPoL)
• C. NBAD
• D. Screened subnet

Answer: (A)

Network Access Control is the system that governs who or what can access the network and under what conditions, enforcing policies at the device level. It brings together policies, authentication protocols (such as 802.1X with an authentication server), and enforcement hardware (switches, wireless controllers, or dedicated NAC appliances) to verify and authorize devices before they join the network. A key aspect is posture assessment, which checks that devices meet security requirements (like up-to-date antivirus and patches), with remediation to bring noncompliant devices into compliance. While EAP over LAN is a protocol used within this process, it isn’t the overarching term for the whole control framework; screen subnet describes a network design that uses a screening gateway rather than the general access-control system; NBAD focuses on monitoring and detecting anomalies rather than enforcing access.

Network Access Control is the system that governs who or what can access the network and under what conditions, enforcing policies at the device level. It brings together policies, authentication protocols (such as 802.1X with an authentication server), and enforcement hardware (switches, wireless controllers, or dedicated NAC appliances) to verify and authorize devices before they join the network. A key aspect is posture assessment, which checks that devices meet security requirements (like up-to-date antivirus and patches), with remediation to bring noncompliant devices into compliance. While EAP over LAN is a protocol used within this process, it isn’t the overarching term for the whole control framework; screen subnet describes a network design that uses a screening gateway rather than the general access-control system; NBAD focuses on monitoring and detecting anomalies rather than enforcing access.