--- title: "NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next | Firevault" description: "Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.…" lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next#webpage", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next", "name": "NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next", "description": "Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.…", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website" }, "about": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next#breadcrumb" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://fire-vault.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Learn", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/learn" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Knowledge Vault", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/learn/knowledge" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next", "item": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next", "description": "Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.…", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg", "width": 1200, "height": 1200 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg", "width": 1200, "height": 900 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg", "width": 1200, "height": 675 } ], "thumbnailUrl": "https://fire-vault.com/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Fermor", "jobTitle": "Director & Co-Founder", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "url": "https://fire-vault.com/why-oss/about" }, "publisher": { "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization", "name": "Firevault", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 600, "height": 60 } }, "datePublished": "2025-08-04T06:57:49+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-08-11T21:30:14.794282+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "articleSection": "Insight", "wordCount": 608, "keywords": "NAC:, Insight, data breach, cyber security, offline secure storage, data protection, physical air gap", "articleBody": "Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed. Hybrid workforces, contractor churn, BYOD sprawl, cloud sprawl, ransomware, and relentless credential abuse have rendered traditional NAC systems not just ineffective, but dangerously outdated. NAC can’t secure what no longer lives inside the pe", "dateline": "United Kingdom", "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ "h1", ".article-summary", "h2" ] }, "isAccessibleForFree": true, "copyrightHolder": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "copyrightYear": 2025 }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization", "name": "Firevault", "legalName": "Firevault Limited", "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://fire-vault.com/logo.png", "width": 200, "height": 60 }, "foundingDate": "2025-03", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressCountry": "GB", "addressLocality": "United Kingdom" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer service", "email": "hello@fire-vault.com", "availableLanguage": "English", "areaServed": "GB" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/firevault", "https://x.com/firevaultuk" ], "slogan": "Disconnect to Protect", "knowsAbout": [ "Offline Secure Storage", "Physical Air Gap Data Protection", "Ransomware Protection", "Data Sovereignty", "GDPR Compliance", "NIS2 Compliance" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#website", "name": "Firevault", "alternateName": [ "Firevault", "Firevault UK", "Firevault Limited" ], "url": "https://fire-vault.com", "publisher": { "@id": "https://fire-vault.com/#organization" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "description": "Firevault has rewritten the rules for data protection & storage via its offline secure storage (OSS) platform, for users to vault everything that matters.", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://fire-vault.com/learn?q={search_term_string}" }, "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } } ] --- Recent Breaches Breaches [2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](https://techcrunch.com)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](https://www.securityweek.com)[2026 Co-operative Group 6.5M records ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7z9zj3l1o)[2026 Harrods Attempted intrusion ](https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/uk-luxury-retailer-harrods-latest-target-cyber-attack-2025-05-01/)[2026 Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice) 2.1M records ](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/legal-aid-agency-data-breach)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jkev1el2o)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k7yy8n3g5o)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gx8p3rzeo)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c789e7l1z7po)[2026 PowerSchool 62.4M records ](https://www.bleepingcomputer.com)[2026 DISA Global Solutions 3.3M records ](https://techcrunch.com)[2026 Globe Life 850K records ](https://www.securityweek.com)[2026 Co-operative Group 6.5M records ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7z9zj3l1o)[2026 Harrods Attempted intrusion ](https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/uk-luxury-retailer-harrods-latest-target-cyber-attack-2025-05-01/)[2026 Legal Aid Agency (Ministry of Justice) 2.1M records ](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/legal-aid-agency-data-breach)[2026 Adidas UK Customer contact details ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78jkev1el2o)[2026 Peter Green Chilled Order and logistics data ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k7yy8n3g5o)[2026 Jaguar Land Rover Production and IT systems disru... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gx8p3rzeo)[2026 Collins Aerospace (RTX) Check-in and boarding disruptio... ](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c789e7l1z7po) [View All →](/learn/breaches) [![Firevault - offline secure storage, physically disconnected from the internet](/assets/logo-color-DBVl0KCg.png)](/) Products Solutions [Why OSS](/why-oss) More [Help](/help)[Get started](/get-started) Overview What NAC Tried to DoWhy NAC Is Failing TodayThe Firevault Alternative: Contr…Secured Offline Data, Because No…Why Firevault Beats NAC for Toda…Realities NAC Can’t IgnoreReady for Reality? Choose Fireva…ShareMore Resources [Knowledge Vault](/learn/knowledge)/ Insight Insight · 4 August 2025 # NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.… ![Mark Fermor](/assets/mark-fermor-C-vy1NeN.jpg) Mark Fermor Director & Co-Founder, Firevault 4 min read Share [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next&text=NAC%3A%20Why%20It%20No%20Longer%20Works%20and%20What%20Comes%20Next%0A%0ANetwork%20Access%20Control%20\(NAC\)%20was%20once%20the%20gold%20standard%20for%20managing%20who%20could%20connect%20to%20a%20network%2C%20and%20under%20what%20conditions.%20But%20the%20world%20has%20changed.%E2%80%A6)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next)[](mailto:?subject=NAC%3A%20Why%20It%20No%20Longer%20Works%20and%20What%20Comes%20Next&body=Network%20Access%20Control%20\(NAC\)%20was%20once%20the%20gold%20standard%20for%20managing%20who%20could%20connect%20to%20a%20network%2C%20and%20under%20what%20conditions.%20But%20the%20world%20has%20changed.%E2%80%A6%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next) ![A decommissioned network switch with disconnected cables in a well-lit data centre](/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg) Insight Article record **Insight**Category **4 August 2025**Published **4 min read**Reading time **Mark Fermor**Written by A decommissioned network switch with disconnected cables in a well-lit data centre Why it matters ## What this means for organisations holding critical data Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.… In this analysis 1. 01 [What NAC Tried to Do](#section-0) 2. 02 [Why NAC Is Failing Today](#section-1) 3. 03 [The Firevault Alternative: Contr…](#section-2) 4. 04 [Secured Offline Data, Because No…](#section-3) 5. 05 [Why Firevault Beats NAC for Toda…](#section-4) 6. 06 [Realities NAC Can’t Ignore](#section-5) **On this page**[What NAC Tried to Do](#section-0)[Why NAC Is Failing Today](#section-1)[The Firevault Alternative: Contr…](#section-2)[Secured Offline Data, Because No…](#section-3)[Why Firevault Beats NAC for Toda…](#section-4)[Realities NAC Can’t Ignore](#section-5)[Ready for Reality? Choose Fireva…](#section-6) Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed. Hybrid workforces, contractor churn, BYOD sprawl, cloud sprawl, ransomware, and relentless credential abuse have rendered traditional NAC systems not just ineffective, but dangerously outdated. NAC can’t secure what no longer lives inside the perimeter. So the question is no longer _“Which NAC system should we use?”_ It’s: **“Is there a better way to protect access and data?”** ## What NAC Tried to Do Traditional NAC aimed to control access to a network by enforcing authentication, checking device posture, and limiting lateral movement across segmented networks. Pre-admission NAC blocked unauthorised devices before entry. Post-admission NAC monitored behaviour inside the network. When deployed at scale, it gave IT teams control, and visibility. But that came at a cost: - Complex infrastructure - Expensive hardware - Constant monitoring - High admin overhead - Fragile policy enforcement And more critically, it still **didn’t stop ransomware, breaches, or data leaks**. ## Why NAC Is Failing Today Even the best NAC systems can’t protect organisations from today’s decentralised, hybrid, high-risk environments: - **BYOD Chaos:** Contractors, freelancers, and employees all use personal devices. Uniform policy enforcement becomes impossible. One outdated Android device is all it takes. - **Cloud & XaaS Proliferation:** NAC wasn’t built for SaaS or hybrid-cloud systems. Its controls stop at the data centre door. - **User Churn & Access Sprawl:** Roles, people, and permissions change constantly. NAC can’t keep up. - **Hardware Risks:** The NAC hardware itself is vulnerable. Unpatched VPNs, switches, and routers have already led to high-profile breaches. ## The Firevault Alternative: Controlled Offline Access Rather than bolting access policies to old network infrastructure, Firevault detaches trust from the network entirely. **Access is no longer assumed, it’s assigned, verified, time-bound, and completely offline until required.** ### Controlled Offline Access Firevault operates at the physical control layer. It removes the digital attack surface by default and only reconnects systems when a verified user initiates access through a secure, identity-bound process. - **Out-of-band authorisation**: No internet-visible session initiation - **Identity-locked access**: MFA, safewords, and role controls - **Time-limited sessions**: You set the window. It closes itself. - **Zero digital footprint**: No background processes, no packets to sniff It replaces fragile perimeter-based controls with **disconnection by design**. ## Secured Offline Data, Because Not Everything Should Be Online What NAC also fails to protect is the end target: **the data**. Firevault ensures sensitive files, legal records, IP, crypto keys, PII, financials, are stored in a **physically disconnected digital vault**, unreachable unless explicitly commanded. - No cloud lock-in - No unauthorised third-party access - No background sync or vulnerability to malware With Firevault’s **Vault** modules, data isn’t just encrypted. It’s removed from the threat plane entirely, stored offline, governed by strict ownership policies, and backed by immutable audit trails. ## Why Firevault Beats NAC for Today’s Threats Traditional NAC Firevault Dependent on routers, VPNs, and access switches Hardware-agnostic; removes access by default Can’t handle dynamic user roles and BYOD Assigns access at the identity level only Requires constant patching Runs offline, not exposed to 0-days Only works inside networks Secures access to data and systems, wherever they are Assumes trust **Zero trust. Zero access. Until verified.** ## Realities NAC Can’t Ignore - **26 billion files** were stolen in 2024 - **43% of attacks** target small organisations - Most breaches come from **credential theft or compromised access** You don’t stop that by building better fences. You stop it by **disconnecting the door**. ## Ready for Reality? Choose Firevault. If you’re still relying on NAC, you are still relying on the network. Firevault isn’t network security. It’s **network disconnection**. It doesn’t just defend your systems, it _takes them offline until you say otherwise_. [Control Your Access](/platform)[Create Your Vault](/vault) About the author ![Mark Fermor](/assets/mark-fermor-C-vy1NeN.jpg) ### Mark Fermor [](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfermor) Director & Co-Founder Co-founder of Firevault, focused on offline secure storage and protecting individuals and businesses from fraud, fines, loss and damage. Speaker, owner and advisor. The Firevault view**Offline Secure Storage® keeps a clean copy beyond the reach of an attacker.**[Why #OSS →](/why-oss) Control systems and access**Cut the physical paths attackers and third parties depend on.**[Explore Control →](/solutions/control) Get started**Get started, or talk to a member of the team.**[Get started →](/get-started) How Firevault would handle this ## Physical disconnection removes the path an attacker needs Offline Secure Storage® holds a clean copy of your data on hardware that is physically disconnected, so an intrusion cannot reach it, encrypt it or delete it. [Get started](/get-started)[Talk to the team](/demo) **Hardware**Your data sits on dedicated encrypted hardware **Disconnect**Offline by default, connected only when you say so **Command**Access windows and retrieval under your control **Location**Held in a secure Firevault Bunker Related Reading ## You may also find these useful [ ![Nine PBS: 50 Terabytes of History Trapped by a Cloud Vendor That Closed](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/nine-pbs-archives-cloud-vendor-shutdown-2026.jpg) Insight ### Nine PBS: 50 Terabytes of History Trapped by a Cloud Vendor That Closed A public broadcaster lost access to fifty terabytes of archival footage, spanning seventy years of regional history, when its cloud storage supplier suddenly went out of business. The files are still trapped in a Denver data centre. 18 Aug 2026 4 min ](/news/nine-pbs-archives-cloud-vendor-shutdown-2026)[ ![French tax authority breach exposes 678,000 taxpayers and the land registry behind them](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/french-tax-authority-dgfip-data-breach-2026.jpg) Insight ### French tax authority breach exposes 678,000 taxpayers and the land registry behind them France's Directorate General of Public Finances has confirmed that attackers used compromised access points to extract tax and cadastral data on 678,000 individuals and businesses. The same seller claims to have held a live session on the central land registry platform covering roughly 20 million people. 17 Aug 2026 3 min ](/news/french-tax-authority-dgfip-data-breach-678000-2026)[ ![Azure credential theft campaign exposes millions of employee records at McDonald's, Vodafone and TCS](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/azure-credential-theft-campaign-2026.jpg) Insight ### Azure credential theft campaign exposes millions of employee records at McDonald's, Vodafone and TCS A single seller is offering internal employee directories taken from at least nine major enterprises through compromised Azure and Entra credentials, including more than 1.7 million records attributed to McDonald's. No platform vulnerability was needed. Valid credentials were enough. 17 Aug 2026 3 min ](/news/azure-credential-theft-campaign-employee-directories-2026)[ ![Taiwan hit by AI-assisted cyber attack as agents harvest 2,500 personnel records](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/taiwan-ai-assisted-cyber-attack-2026-v2.jpg) Insight ### Taiwan hit by AI-assisted cyber attack as agents harvest 2,500 personnel records Taiwan says AI-assisted attackers compromised at least 85 government accounts and extracted more than 2,500 personnel records before expanding into the island's nuclear safety agency and at least seven energy companies. The tooling was autonomous. The data was reachable. 17 Aug 2026 3 min ](/news/taiwan-ai-assisted-cyber-attack-government-agencies-2026)[ ![Shell investigates Cl0p data theft claim as engineering files are listed](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/shell-cl0p-data-breach-claim.jpg) Insight ### Shell investigates Cl0p data theft claim as engineering files are listed Shell has opened an investigation after the Cl0p ransomware group claimed the theft of around 89 gigabytes of internal data, said to include engineering drawings, facility photographs, project roadmaps and testing reports. Shell is one of dozens of organisations named in the same campaign. 16 Aug 2026 3 min ](/news/shell-cl0p-ransomware-data-theft-claim)[ ![Ransomware surges while AI dominates the conversation](https://zomvctmqpgirvjnvawlz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/ransomware-surge-july-2026-ai-distraction.jpg) Insight ### Ransomware surges while AI dominates the conversation Ransomware attacks rose 20 per cent in July 2026 to 799 confirmed incidents, according to Comparitech data reported by The Register. Finance, technology, pharmaceuticals and education absorbed the sharpest increases while attention stayed fixed on artificial intelligence. 15 Aug 2026 3 min ](/news/ransomware-surge-july-2026-ai-distraction) Share this article Insight 4 August 2025 4 min read ## NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next Network Access Control (NAC) was once the gold standard for managing who could connect to a network, and under what conditions. But the world has changed.… ![NAC: Why It No Longer Works and What Comes Next](/__l5e/assets-v1/8d55a16a-778b-4558-b916-f1efdb7ba051/network-access-control-nac-1771248024389-2x.jpg) ![Mark Fermor](/assets/mark-fermor-C-vy1NeN.jpg) Published by Mark Fermor , Director & Co-Founder Share [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next&text=NAC%3A%20Why%20It%20No%20Longer%20Works%20and%20What%20Comes%20Next%0A%0ANetwork%20Access%20Control%20\(NAC\)%20was%20once%20the%20gold%20standard%20for%20managing%20who%20could%20connect%20to%20a%20network%2C%20and%20under%20what%20conditions.%20But%20the%20world%20has%20changed.%E2%80%A6)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next)[](mailto:?subject=NAC%3A%20Why%20It%20No%20Longer%20Works%20and%20What%20Comes%20Next&body=Network%20Access%20Control%20\(NAC\)%20was%20once%20the%20gold%20standard%20for%20managing%20who%20could%20connect%20to%20a%20network%2C%20and%20under%20what%20conditions.%20But%20the%20world%20has%20changed.%E2%80%A6%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Ffire-vault.com%2Fnews%2Fnetwork-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next) [Read full article](https://fire-vault.com/news/network-access-control-nac-why-it-no-longer-works-and-what-comes-next) ## Suggested Reading - [What is Offline Secure Storage The foundation of physical disconnection ](/offline-secure-storage/what-is-oss) - [Why Offline Secure Storage The case for physical control ](/why-oss) - [Ransomware Defence Hold gold copies offline ](/oss-for-ransomware-recovery) - [Control Physical path control for IT and OT ](/solutions/control) - [Knowledge Vault All articles, guides and whitepapers ](/learn/knowledge) - [Book a Demo See Firevault in action ](/demo) [Back to Knowledge Vault](/learn/knowledge)