Product overview
Granting and denying network access has evolved beyond simple user name and password verifications. Today, additional attributes related to users and their devices are used as decision criteria in determining authorized network access. Additionally, network service provisioning can be based on data such as the type of device accessing the network, including whether it is a corporate or personal device.

The Cisco Secure Network Server is a scalable solution that helps network administrators meet complex network access control demands by managing the many different operations that can place heavy loads on applications and servers, including:

● Authorization and authentication requests

● Queries to identity stores such as Active Directory and LDAP databases

● Device profiling and posture checking

● Enforcement actions to remove devices from the network

● Reporting

The Cisco Secure Network Server is based on the Cisco UCS® C220 Rack Server and is configured specifically to support the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) security application. The Secure Network Server supports these applications in five versions. The Cisco Secure Network Server 3615 is designed for small deployments. The Secure Network Server 3655 and 3695 have several redundant components such as hard disks and power supplies, making it suitable for larger deployments that require highly reliable system configurations.

Cisco Identity Services Engine
An integral component to Cisco’s cybersecurity initiative, the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a revolutionary product that extends the network access and admission control capabilities first offered in Cisco NAC and Cisco Secure ACS. Looking beyond user name and password, the Identity Services Engine delivers unprecedented abilities to acquire user and device identity and context information to forge flexible and powerful policies that govern authorized network access. ISE is an all-in-one enterprise policy control platform that can reliably provide secure access for wired, wireless and VPN networks. ISE can also help IT with secure BYOD on-boarding and allow IT to provide differentiated Guest Access. The Identity Services Engine provides enforcement actions that allow administrators to restrict devices from the network that are violating access and policies.