Designing Access Controls

Lay Out the Network

Remember, in either case, you can allow unauthenticated users to be placed on an unauthenticated VLAN.

Endpoint Integrity. Particularly when you allow members of the public to connect their own equipment to your network, you should implement endpoint integrity. The most suitable deployment method is usually DHCP, and the most suitable testing method is ActiveX (because ActiveX testing does not require any installation of software or entering of credentials).

Even if guests use your company’s equipment, you might want to test the equipment’s integrity; otherwise, you cannot be certain guests will not alter security settings and perhaps introduce malware. Because your organization owns the equipment, you can choose the NAC EI agent testing method if you so desire.

Table 3-106. Public Wired Zone Policies

Zone

Authentication

EI Deployment

Testing Method

Authentication

Encryption

 

Method

 

 

Protocol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public wired

Web-Auth or

DHCP

NAC EI agent or

RADIUS-CHAP

none

Private equipment

MAC-Auth

 

ActiveX

RADIUS-PAP

 

Public wired

Web-Auth

DHCP

ActiveX

RADIUS-CHAP

none

Guest equipment

 

 

 

RADIUS-PAP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose Switches. The public wired zone features direct connections between users and switches, which serve as the PEPs. You will need switches that support MAC-Auth and Web-Auth.

Table 3-107shows the access control methods supported by ProCurve Switches. For example, the ProCurve Switch 3500yl may be a good choice, as it supports both methods and can be reconfigured by the RADIUS server with dynamic settings. For full details on each product, visit http://www.hp.com/ rnd/products/index.htm.

Table 3-107. Network Access Control Capabilities of ProCurve Edge Switches

Switch Series

MAC-Auth

Web-Auth

802.1X

Dynamic VLAN

Dynamic ACLs

 

 

 

 

Assignment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5400zl

X

X

X

X

X

5300xl

X

X

X

X

X

4200vl

X

X

X

X

 

4100gl

 

 

X

X

 

3500yl

X

X

X

X

X

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