Identity Services Engine (ISE) Administering Advanced

This 5-day advanced training course dives deep into Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) with a focus on profiling, posturing, and policy creation, along with in-depth troubleshooting techniques. Participants will learn how to leverage Cisco ISE to enhance network security, endpoint compliance, and policy enforcement through a structured approach. The course includes extensive hands-on labs, real-world case studies, and advanced troubleshooting methods to ensure participants gain the expertise needed to design, deploy, and maintain a secure Cisco ISE environment.

MODULE 1: Advanced Profiling in Cisco ISE

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Profiling
  
  • Overview of Cisco ISE Profiling Services
  • Importance of Profiling in Network Access Control
  • Profiling Policies and Attribute Collection
• Lesson 2: Profiling Techniques and Configuration
  
  • Passive vs. Active Profiling Methods
  • Device Sensor Capabilities and Probes (RADIUS, DHCP, HTTP, SNMP, NetFlow)
  • Endpoint Classification and Profiling Policy Creation
• Lesson 3: Profiling Enhancements and Best Practices
  
  • Creating Custom Profiling Policies
  • Tuning Profiling Accuracy and Efficiency
  • Integrating Cisco ISE with Network Infrastructure for Optimal Profiling
• Lesson 4: Troubleshooting Profiling Issues
  
  • Debugging Profiling Policies
  • Analyzing Live Logs and Reports
  • Resolving Misclassification and Incorrect Device Profiling

MODULE 2: Advanced Posturing in Cisco ISE

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Posture Assessment
  
  • Role of Posturing in Endpoint Security
  • Understanding Cisco ISE Posture Policies
  • NAC Agent vs. Secure Client Posture Module
• Lesson 2: Posture Configuration and Deployment
  
  • Configuring Posture Conditions and Remediation Actions
  • Deploying Posture Assessment in a Wired and Wireless Network
  • Endpoint Compliance and Remediation Techniques
• Lesson 3: Posturing for BYOD and Corporate Devices
  
  • Implementing Posture Policies for BYOD and Corporate-Owned Devices
  • Integrating Cisco ISE with MDM for Posture Compliance
  • Automating Quarantine and Remediation Workflows
• Lesson 4: Troubleshooting Posturing Issues
  
  • Common Posturing Failures and Debugging Techniques
  • Monitoring Posture Logs and Reports
  • Resolving Agent Installation, Communication, and Policy Mismatch Issues

MODULE 3: Policy Creation and Enforcement in Cisco ISE

• Lesson 1: Overview of Policy Creation in Cisco ISE
  
  • Cisco ISE Policy Framework
  • Authentication vs. Authorization Policies
  • Creating Hierarchical Policy Structures
• Lesson 2: Advanced Policy Configuration
  
  • Configuring Policy Sets and Conditions
  • Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) Implementation
  • Dynamic Authorization with Change of Authorization (CoA)
• Lesson 3: Adaptive Network Access Policies
  
  • Implementing Context-Aware Policies
  • Role-Based and Device-Based Policy Enforcement
  • Integrating Cisco ISE with External Identity Sources (LDAP, AD, SAML)
• Lesson 4: Policy Troubleshooting and Optimization
  
  • Using Live Logs and Policy Simulation for Debugging
  • Analyzing Authentication and Authorization Failures
  • Optimizing Policy Efficiency and Reducing Latency

MODULE 4: Advanced Integrations and Automation

• Lesson 1: Cisco ISE Integration with Third-Party Solutions
  
  • Integrating Cisco ISE with Cisco Secure Network Analytics (Stealthwatch)
  • Connecting Cisco ISE with SIEM and Threat Intelligence Platforms
  • API-Based Automation for Identity and Policy Management
• Lesson 2: Automating Cisco ISE Operations
  
  • Automating Network Access Control with pxGrid and Cisco Catalyst Center
  • Dynamic Policy Adjustments Based on Threat Intelligence
  • Implementing REST API for ISE Management and Reporting
• Lesson 3: Security Group Tags (SGT) and TrustSec Integration
  
  • Overview of Security Group Tags (SGT) and TrustSec Framework
  • Implementing SGT for Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Policy Enforcement Using SGT-Based Access Controls
  • Troubleshooting SGT Deployment Issues
• Lesson 4: ISE with Firepower Integration
  
  • Overview of Cisco ISE and Firepower Integration
  • Configuring Firepower and ISE Integration
  • Threat Detection and Dynamic Policy Enforcement
  • Troubleshooting ISE and Firepower Integration
• Lesson 5: ISE Use Cases
  
  • Reviewing Complex ISE Deployments and Best Practices
  • Lessons Learned from Large-Scale ISE Implementations

MODULE 5: In-Depth Troubleshooting, AI/ML Analytics, and Best Practices

• Lesson 1: Advanced Troubleshooting Techniques
  
  • Debugging Authentication and Authorization Issues
  • Analyzing Logs with TACACS+, RADIUS, and Syslog
  • Using the Cisco ISE CLI and Debug Commands
• Lesson 2: Common Issues and Resolutions
  
  • Addressing Profiling and Posture Failures
  • Troubleshooting CoA and Policy Mismatches
  • Resolving Endpoint and Device Registration Issues
• Lesson 3: AI/ML Analytics in Cisco ISE
  
  • Behavior-Based Anomaly Detection Identifies suspicious network activity based on deviations from normal user and device behavior.
  • Automated Threat Response Enhances security by dynamically adjusting access policies based on AI-driven risk assessments.
  • Enhanced Endpoint Profiling Improves device classification accuracy using ML-based pattern recognition.
  • Predictive Security Insights Uses historical and real-time data to anticipate potential security threats before they materialize.
• Lesson 4: Multi-Factor Classification in Cisco ISE
  
  • Context-Aware Authentication Considers multiple attributes, such as device posture, location, and user role, before granting access.
  • Risk-Based Access Control Assigns risk scores to endpoints based on behavioral analytics, compliance status, and security posture.
  • Dynamic Policy Adjustments Adapts authentication and authorization policies in real-time based on the risk assessment of the requesting entity.
  • Integration with AI/ML Analytics Uses AI-driven insights to refine classification accuracy and enhance security decision-making.
• Lesson 5: Performance Optimization and Scaling Cisco ISE
  
  • High-Availability and Redundancy Considerations
  • Scaling Cisco ISE in Large Enterprise Networks
  • Best Practices for Policy Optimization and Log Retention

To fully benefit from this course, you should have the following knowledge:

• Familiarity with the Cisco IOS Software Command-Line Interface (CLI) for wired and wireless devices
• Familiarity with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
• Familiarity with Microsoft Windows operating systems
• Familiarity with 802.1X

Recommended Cisco offerings that may help you meet these prerequisites:

• Cisco CCNP Security Certification training
• Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine (SISE) v4.0 or v4.1

• Network Security Engineers
• Network Security Architects
• ISE Administrators
• Senior Security Operations Center (SOC) personnel responsible for Incidence Response
• Cisco Integrators and Partners