Network Access Control is one of the most complex areas of enterprise security — and one of the most frequently misimplemented. Cisco ISE projects fail not because of the technology, but because of what surrounds it: Active Directory structure, PKI design, certificate lifecycle, VLAN architecture, and endpoint posture policies that have to survive real users, real devices, and real helpdesk pressure.
With 11+ years of hands-on experience deploying and operating Cisco ISE in banking, manufacturing, and enterprise environments, we provide independent consulting, deployment support, and ongoing managed services for organizations that need ISE expertise without hiring a full-time specialist.
What We Do
🔐 Cisco ISE Deployment & Configuration
- Greenfield ISE deployments — architecture design, node sizing, HA configuration
- Policy Service Node (PSN), Administration Node (PAN), Monitoring Node (MnT) setup
- Authentication policies — MAB, dot1x, WebAuth
- Authorization policies — VLAN assignment, dACL, Security Group Tags (SGT)
- Guest lifecycle management — sponsored, self-registration, hotspot portals
- BYOD onboarding — device registration, certificate provisioning
- Profiling — device classification, endpoint visibility
- Integration with Active Directory, LDAP, PKI
📶 802.1X Project Consulting
802.1X success depends on much more than network configuration. We help organizations navigate the full stack:
- AD & GPO preparation — machine authentication, certificate auto-enrollment
- PKI design — internal CA, certificate templates, SCEP/EST for BYOD
- Switch configuration — Cisco Catalyst, Aruba, HP — dot1x port config, MAB fallback
- Wireless integration — WPA3-Enterprise, EAP-TLS, PEAP-MSCHAPv2
- Monitor mode → Low-impact → Closed mode — phased rollout planning
- Troubleshooting — RADIUS debug, ISE live logs, switch port diagnostics
⚙️ Cisco ISE Upgrade & Migration
- ISE version upgrade planning and execution (2.x → 3.x → 3.3)
- Zero-downtime upgrade strategy for HA deployments
- Pre-upgrade health checks and post-upgrade validation
- Migration from legacy NAC solutions (Bradford, Aruba ClearPass → ISE)
🛡️ Ongoing ISE Management
- Policy review and optimization — removing unused rules, cleaning up authorization profiles
- Certificate lifecycle management — monitoring expiry, renewal automation
- New endpoint type onboarding — IoT devices, printers, cameras
- ISE patching and hotfix application
- Monthly health reports
Why 802.1X Projects Fail — And How We Help
Most 802.1X deployments struggle not with ISE itself, but with the surrounding infrastructure:
Common failure points:
- AD not structured for machine authentication — GPO not pushing certificates
- PKI misconfigured — certificates not auto-enrolling on endpoints
- Switch ports not consistently configured — MAB fallback missing
- Legacy devices with no 802.1X support — no exception handling strategy
- Rollout too aggressive — users locked out, helpdesk overwhelmed
Our approach: We work through all of these systematically before touching ISE policy. The network part comes last — not first.
Independent Consulting — No Vendor Bias
We work with Cisco, Aruba, HP and mixed environments. If ISE is the right tool, we will tell you. If your existing infrastructure would work better with a different NAC approach, we will tell you that too.
Remote-First Delivery
All services are delivered remotely via secure access. For new deployments requiring physical switch configuration, we coordinate with your local team.
Get in Touch
📱 WhatsApp: wa.me/4916098665971
📧 Email: barash@digitriva.de
Free 30-minute technical consultation. No commitment required.