The TNC specs are good but some people prefer a more formal approach to standards. For example, Cisco has said that they prefer to work on NAC standards in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Getting Cisco and others to agree on NAC standards is important, so the IETF has formed the Network Endpoint Assessment (NEA) Working Group to work on standard NAC protocols. I co-chair this NEA Working Group with Susan Thomson of Cisco and lots of other folks from the network security industry are involved so this is a good forum to hammer things out.

The NEA Working Group (pronounced “nee-ah” by those in the group) recently approved a NEA requirements document. Now the Working Group is soliciting proposed protocols that meet those requirements. The proposals are due by February 18, 2008. It will certainly be interesting to see who submits proposals and what happens with them. Will Cisco submit a proposal? TCG? Someone else? Tune into my blog on February 19 and I’ll give you the answers!