Network Access Control

NAC Information

TCNJ employs a Network Access Control or NAC device to help prevent a computer from becoming a victim of virus, spyware, spam, or trojans, and also from spreading such malware.  The NAC also replaces the Resnet registration application with an electronic equivalent that associates a TCNJ community member with a computer.

The NAC works by electronically enforcing the Computing Access Agreement and Resnet Access standards.  These security requirements are available at the following websites:

http://www.tcnj.edu/~it/procedures/computeraccess.html

http://www.tcnj.edu/~resnet/documentation.php

 

A summary of the College’s security requirements is:

• use appropriate and up-to-date anti-virus software
• keep your computer up-to-date with operating system patches
• do not use peer to peer file sharing applications
• do not disrupt the work of others

 

Anti-virus software is available from TCNJ free of charge here:  http://www.tcnj.edu/~resnet/software.php

Allowed antiv-virus software vendors include Avast!, AVG, Authentium, AVGuard, BitDefender, EZ AntiVirus, Kaspersky, McAfee, Microsoft OneCare, NOD32, Panda, Sophos, Spysweeper AV, Symantec, TrendMicro, and ZoneAlarm.

The information collected by the NAC includes your username, IP address, MAC address, and security profile of your machine gathered from the state of your anti-virus software, operating system update settings, and any peer to peer file sharing applications.  This information resides on a TCNJ server and is not transmitted off campus.

Installation Schedule

Deployment to Resnet – Fall semester 2009

August 10, 2009 - The NAC will prompt you to login and install a policy key
application. The policy key only needs to be installed once. Thereafter,
you will be prompted automatically to login to the NAC every time you
restart your computer.

September 14, 2009 - You will begin to receive periodic warnings if your
computer does not meet the security standards of the College. Your
computer will not be blocked.

October 5, 2009 - If you haven't remedied the non-compliant security
condition, your computer will be blocked from accessing the Internet.
Access to on campus resources will not be restricted.  Once you fix the
non-compliant security condition access to the Internet will resume
immediately.  For help please contact the Res.net helpdesk at x3138.

Download NAC policy key

You will be prompted to install the policy key the first time you connect your computer on campus.  To make your initial setup go faster, you may download and install the policy key before you arrive.  Pre-installing the policy key file will not impact your computer usage while off campus. 

Please download and install as you would any other application. 

• Windows NAC Policy Key
• Mac OSX NAC Policy Key
• (No policy key required for Linux)

 

Gaming consoles, PDAs, etc.

Gaming consoles, PDAs, etc., will not be prompted to login to the NAC.

Connecting your computer to Resnet for the first time

Connect your computer to the network and launch a web browser.  You will see the NAC login page (below).  Login with your Unix/email account username and password.  If you do not login you will not be able to access the Internet. 

Download and install the policy key on login

Next, you will prompted to download and install the NAC policy key if you haven't already done so.  You will only have to install the policy key once.  The  NAC policy key reports into the NAC management console with the security status of your computer.  If you do not install the policy key, you will not be able to access the Internet.

Please follow the onscreen prompts and instructions to download and install the policy key for Windows and Mac OSX. 

 

Compliance with the College's security standards won't be enforced until later in the Fall semester.  Please see the installation schedule above.

If the security settings of your computer do not meet the College’s security standards your computer will be quarantined from accessing the Internet.  Please refer to the onscreen messages as to what the exact reason is that your computer has been quarantined and for information or instructions on how to remedy the situation.

Sample messages follow:

Sample operating system updates out of compliance message

 

Sample anti-virus software out of compliance message