Patent ID: 8370922

Claim:
A method for dynamically configuring network access settings for a user device via a network security device, the method comprising: collecting via the security device information about hardware and software of the user device; assessing security characteristics of the user device based on the collected hardware and software information; obtaining network configuration settings of a local wireless network; assessing security characteristics of the wireless network based on the network configuration settings; selecting network access settings for the user device based on the security characteristics of the user device and the security characteristics of the wireless network, wherein the network access settings are selected from at least one item in a group consisting of a set of high security settings and a set of low security settings; detecting changes in the security characteristics of the user device or the security characteristics of the wireless network; changing the network access settings for the user device based on the changes in the security characteristics of the user device or the security characteristics of the wireless network; and regulating via the security device the network access of the user device based on the changed network access settings of the user device.