Cisco Clean Access Agent

Technically, Clean Access Agent and Network Scanner are optional components. However, in most cases, you will use the Clean Access Agent and Network Scanner in your deployment.

CAUTION If you choose not to use either the Clean Access Agent or the Network Scanner, then you cannot perform any host security assessment checks (for example, checking for up-to-date antivirus definitions). You will, however, be able to perform user authentication checking via web login.

Clean Access Agent is a free software program that resides on client PCs. It is a read-only agent whose job is to gather information about the user and the host it is installed on. It then matches that against the requirements received for that user, role, or OS from NAC Appliance Server and sends back a report to NAC Appliance Manager via NAC Appliance Server. If the requirements are met, the host is allowed on the network. If the host fails, Clean Access Agent presents the user, via a dialog box, with the remediation instructions received from NAC Appliance Manager. The information it checks for is configured by you at the NAC Appliance Manager level and then pushed out to each NAC Appliance Server. The information that can be checked by Clean Access Agent includes applications, files, registry keys, and services. For example, Clean Access Agent could check for the presence of a Windows hotfix or check to see whether an antivirus program is current.

Hosts that fail a system check are then put into a Clean Access Agent Temporary role. This role is configured to restrict network access to only those resources they will need to remediate their host. This may include access to websites, such as update.microsoft.com, or access to antivirus vendor update servers (local or on the Internet). These restrictions are enforced at the closest NAC Appliance Server in the traffic path of Clean Access Agent. No enforcement is done locally at the Clean Access Agent level. Clean Access Agent will then help the user fix up, or remediate, the host. It uses pop-up dialog boxes to notify the user of security policy violations that have occurred. It also provides a remediation button to fix the violation. See Figure 3-4 for an example.

Figure 3-4 Clean Access Agent Remediation Example

Figure 3-4 Clean Access Agent Remediation Example

Clean Access Agent

Please update the virus definition file of the specified antivirus software (optional).

Clean Access Agent

Please update the virus definition file of the specified antivirus software (optional).

Optional Antivirus Update (d:20:54 left)

Name : Automatic Antl-vlrus Update Check Software: ANY Description : automatic anli-virus check and update

Continue reading here: Cisco NAC Appliance Network Scanner

Was this article helpful?

0 0