Patent ID: 8739245

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a processor; a policy manager logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed operable to perform: obtaining authenticated network information through a network access authentication exchange attempting to authenticate a network to which a supplicant endpoint is to be communicatively coupled, wherein the authenticated network information comprises a network identification and information to facilitate an evaluation of threats and risks associated with the network; classifying the network based at least in part on the obtained authenticated network information, the policy manager logic creating a differentiated access level classification (DALC) and where the DALC specifies three or more levels of access that may be granted to the network; wherein the DALC facilitates differentiating access based, at least in part, on threats and risks associated with the network, and wherein the DALC facilitates establishing different classes of service available to the network by the supplicant endpoint; and a communication manager logic encoded in the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution and when executed operable to perform: communicating a network identity and a DALC related to the network identity, where the communication manager logic communicates the network identity and the related DALC to one or more of, a second supplicant endpoint, and a security agent.