What does Network Access Protection (NAP) control access based on?

Network Access Protection (NAP) is a Microsoft technology designed to help organizations enforce compliance with health policies on computers attempting to access a network. It achieves this by evaluating the configuration of the client system before granting network access.

The primary mechanism of NAP is to assess the configuration of devices trying to connect to the network. This includes verifying aspects such as whether the operating system is up-to-date, whether proper security updates are installed, whether antivirus software is active, and whether system settings comply with organizational security policies. If a device's configuration meets the specified health requirements, it can access the network; otherwise, it may be restricted or placed in a remediation environment until it complies.

In contrast, the other options do not directly pertain to the core functionality of NAP. While encryption level might be a consideration in overall network security, it is not the specific focus of access control in NAP. Warranty and physical location are also unrelated to the health compliance checks that NAP performs to control and limit network access based on device configuration.