Cisco ISE is a comprehensive solution that enables enterprises to enforce consistent and secure access policies across wired, wireless, and VPN connections. It also provides visibility, control, and automation for the network devices, endpoints, users, and applications. To sell Cisco ISE effectively, it is important to highlight the benefits and features of the solution that address the customer’s pain points and needs. Among the options given, two options help you sell Cisco ISE:
Showcasing the entire ISE feature set: ISE has a rich and diverse feature set that covers various use cases, such as device management, asset visibility, software-defined segmentation, software-defined access, guest and wireless access, BYOD, posture assessment, threat detection and response, and more1. By showcasing the entire ISE feature set, you can demonstrate the value proposition and differentiation of ISE from other solutions, and how it can help the customer achieve their business and technical goals.
Explaining ISE support for 3rd party network devices: ISE is not limited to Cisco networks only. It can also support 3rd party network devices that comply with the standard protocols and interfaces, such as RADIUS, SNMP, TACACS+, 802.1X, MAB,CoA, and EAP2. By explaining ISE support for 3rd party network devices, you can show the customer that ISE is a flexible and interoperable solution that can work with their existing network infrastructure, and that they do not need to replace their non-Cisco devices to deploy ISE.
The other three options are not helpful for selling Cisco ISE:
Referring to TrustSec as being only supported on Cisco networks: TrustSec is a Cisco technology that enables software-defined segmentation based on security group tags (SGTs) and security group access control lists (SGACLs)3. TrustSec is not only supported on Cisco networks, but also on 3rd party network devices that can integrate with ISE through pxGrid, which is a platform for sharing contextual information across multiple security products4. By referring to TrustSec as being only supported on Cisco networks, you can create a false impression that ISE is a proprietary and closed solution that requires a complete Cisco network overhaul, which can discourage the customer from adopting ISE.
Discussing the importance of custom profiling: Profiling is a feature of ISE that allows it to identify and classify the endpoints on the network based on their attributes, such as MAC address, IP address, device type, operating system, etc.5. Custom profiling is the ability to create custom profiles and policies for the endpoints that are not recognized by the default ISE profiles. While custom profiling is an important feature of ISE, it is not a key selling point, because it is a complex and time-consuming process that requires a deep understanding of the endpoint attributes and behaviors, and it may not be relevant or applicable for all customers. By discussing the importance of custom profiling, you can confuse or overwhelm the customer with technical details that are not essential for their use case, and divert their attention from the core benefits and features of ISE.
Downplaying the value of pxGrid as compared to RESTful APIs: pxGrid is a platform that enables ISE to share contextual information, such as identity, location, posture, device type, etc., with other security products, such as firewalls, SIEMs, threat detection systems, etc.4. RESTful APIs are a standard way of communicating with web services, such as ISE, using HTTP methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc… Both pxGrid and RESTful APIs are valuable for ISE, because they provide different capabilities and benefits. pxGrid allows ISE to exchange real-time and bidirectional information with other security products, and to enforce consistent policies across the network4. RESTful APIs allow ISE to be integrated with external applications and systems, such as portals, dashboards, workflows, etc., and to automate and customize the network operations. By downplaying the value of pxGrid as compared to RESTful APIs, you can misrepresent the functionality and potential of ISE, and miss the opportunity to showcase how ISE can enhance the security and efficiency of the network.
References:
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Use Cases1 : Cisco Identity Services Engine Network Component Compatibility, Release 2.72 : Cisco TrustSec3 : Cisco pxGrid4 : Cisco ISE Network Discovery5 : Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.7 - Configure Custom Profiling Policies [Cisco Identity Services Engine] - Cisco : Cisco Identity Services Engine API Reference Guide, Release 2.7 - Cisco ISE REST APIs [Cisco Identity Services Engine] - Cisco
