Goodbye, NAC. Hello, software-defined perimeter
Those of us who’ve been around security technology for a while will remember the prodigious rise of network access control (NAC) around 2006. Now, the ideas around NAC had been around for several years beforehand, but 2006 gave us Cisco’s network admission control (aka Cisco NAC), Microsoft’s network access protection (NAP) and then a whole bunch of venture-backed NAC startups (ConSentry, Lockdown Networks, Mirage Networks, etc.).There were lots of reasons why the industry was gaga over NAC at the time, but it really came down to two major factors: Broad adoption of WLANs. In 2006, wireless networking based upon 802.11 was transforming from a novelty to the preferred technology for network access. I also believe laptop sales first overtook desktop computer sales around this same timeframe, so mobility was becoming an IT staple as well. Many organizations wanted a combination of NAC and 802.1X so they could implement access policies and monitor who was accessing the network. A wave of internet worms. The early 2000s produced a steady progression of internet worms, including Code Red (2001), Nimda (2001), SQL Slammer (2003), Blaster (2003), Bagel (2004), Sasser (2004), Zotob (2005), etc. These worms could easily spread Continue reading
Bundling features as a way to compete with AWS.