Hardware interface for enabling direct access and security assessment sharing

Native IPv6 capabilities are provided to an IPv4 network node, device, or endpoint using a hardware interface that supports network communication under a Direct Access model. The Direct Access model supports IPv6 communication with IPsec and enforces Network Access Protection ('NAP') health requirement policies for endpoints that are network clients. A Direct Access-ready server is enabled using a hardware interface that implements IPv4 to IPv6 translation and optionally IPsec termination capability. A Direct Access-ready client is enabled using a hardware interface that implements IPv4 to IPv6 translation, IPsec termination capability, and which optionally provides NAP (Network Access Protection) capabilities for Direct Access-ready clients that are configured as mobile information appliances. The hardware interface may be implemented as a network interface card ('NIC') (405) or as a chipset (505).