Network Access Protection (NAP)
The latest initiative from Microsoft called Network Access Protection or NAP is intended to keep the networks healthy. It stems from the same dilemma faced by health authorities to shield their country from contagious diseases when scores of people travel in and out of its borders. Two major instances where there could be compromises are when their citizens go out of the country and then come back or when visitors enter their country. The same situations could be mapped into a network scenario. We could also see similar measures being taken to keep the network healthy and even similar terms have found a place in those initiatives.
Roaming laptops are always a health threat for any network. While laptops are away from the company, they might not receive the most recent software updates or configuration changes. Laptops might also be infected while exposed to unsecured networks, such as the Internet Organizations frequently need to allow consultants and guests access to their private networks. The laptops that these visitors bring might not meet network requirements and can present health risks.
Although desktop computers do not usually leave the premises, they still can present a health threat to a network. These computers are at higher risk of infection from Web sites, e-mail, files from shared folders, and other publicly accessible resources....
