Layered Safety for RADIUS With Cisco

Dream world for the CISO

Organizations have all kinds of assets to guard. And a few assets are simpler to guard than others. Nevertheless, it’s not the straightforward stuff that retains a CISO up at evening. Earlier than we dive into the tougher examples, let’s think about a situation that enables a CISO to sleep peacefully.

On this situation, when a employee “goes to work” (both within the workplace or remotely), they open their company laptop computer and login to a SaaS utility. This employee varieties the URL into their browser, logs in with their SSO supplier and authenticates utilizing their fingerprint (biometric) on the gadget. Behind the scenes, this consumer is connecting to the applying by a Zero Belief Community Entry (ZTNA) resolution and authenticating with SAML protocol (or OIDC or OAuth2.0), the trendy authentication technique for cloud functions.

This situation is the dream situation (and simpler) to guard:

• Fashionable, cloud utility
• Coverage-driven utility entry
• Phishing-resistant authentication
• Trusted, managed gadget

The truth verify

Nevertheless, the dream situation can also be the least prone to be the reason for a breach. As a substitute, attackers are exploiting legacy know-how or networks the place it’s tough to deploy further safety and implement coverage, like phishing-resisting multi-factor authentication (MFA) or ZTNA. Whereas organizations are on their infrastructure modernization journey, we have to have a sensible plan to guard the lengthy tails of legacy property which are nonetheless in place and could also be tough to safe.

What might be performed?

Layered safety with RADIUS

One in every of these under-rated, however frequent, authentication protocols is RADIUS (Distant Authentication Dial-In Consumer Service). RADIUS is a conventional network-based authentication protocol for customers and gadgets that want to hook up with the community.

In case your group is able the place routers, switches, wi-fi entry factors and VPNs all use RADIUS, Cisco can assist. First, Cisco Identification Providers Engine (ISE) gives a layer of Community Entry Management by providing AAA safety (Authentication, Authorization, and Entry). This safety exists for customers connecting to the community within the workplace and employees connecting to the community by the VPN.

The challenges and safety implications round legacy VPN entry are properly documented, which is why organizations are shifting towards trendy structure with ZTNA. The issue is that many legacy functions should not appropriate with ZTNA and organizations should cling on to their VPN infrastructure. It isn’t a shock that whereas 86% of organizations have began to undertake zero belief, 98% haven’t reached maturity. Basically, they’re caught on this journey.

That’s the place Cisco Safe Entry is available in. Safe Entry has built-in each VPNaaS and ZTNA capabilities. This enables organizations to modernize VPN infrastructure and join utilizing Cisco’s cloud resolution, falling again to VPNaaS if ZTNA just isn’t doable. In apply, all customers have the identical expertise when connecting to functions (legacy or trendy, VPN-required or ZTNA-compatible) and the know-how takes care of the work behind the scenes.

On the subject of VPNaaS use instances, organizations with ISE deployment can leverage the distinctive integration between Safe Entry and Cisco ISE to offer an additional layer of safety. Because of this when customers connect with VPNaaS, they’re protected by ISE’s authentication, posture evaluation, and community segmentation, all by a single agent — Safe Consumer.

We begin with VPNaaS and Cisco ISE working collectively and subsequent we add an additional layer of protection with one other type of authentication (that’s the place the “multi” in MFA is available in). Cisco Duo can provide RADIUS assist for legacy VPNs by the Duo Authentication proxy by including servers to a company’s atmosphere. However whenever you use Duo with ISE and VPNaaS, there’s a distinctive API integration that allows RADIUS authentication with out the necessity for the extra server in your atmosphere. And all the tip consumer sees is the standard Duo push that they’re used to when accessing cloud functions.

Now, even when authenticating with RADIUS, customers have a seamless expertise, and organizations have layered safety to shut potential gaps within the assault floor.

Safe organizations with Consumer Safety Suite

Within the perfect world, a company may shield all its assets utilizing probably the most superior and trendy know-how and protocols. Nevertheless, organizations have a variety of property that each one want safety, no matter how straightforward or arduous it’s to guard. When combining the community safety by Cisco ISE with Consumer Safety Suite instruments, Cisco can present the options you want immediately when you proceed to modernize for the long run. And permit CISOs to get a very good evening’s relaxation.

To study extra about how Cisco’s Consumer Safety Suite can shield your workforce, join with an knowledgeable immediately.

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