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Understanding Cisco ISE 3.x and the Benefits of Migrating from ISE 2.x to 3.x

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) 3.x represents a significant upgrade over its predecessor, Cisco ISE 2.x, offering a host of new features, improved performance and enhanced security capabilities. This blog post delves into the key features of Cisco ISE 3.x and highlights the benefits of migrating from earlier versions, providing a thorough understanding of why this upgrade is essential for modern network environments.

In this blog

  1. Enhanced user experience
  2. Advanced security features
  3. Scalability and performance
  4. Integration and compatibility
  5. Benefits of migrating from 2.x to 3.x

 Enhanced user experience

Cisco ISE 3.x introduces a revamped user interface designed for better usability and efficiency. The streamlined navigation and intuitive layout make it simpler for administrators to manage network policies, monitor user activities, and configure settings. Additionally, the enhanced dashboard provides real-time insights into network health, device health, and security. The Health Check feature has also improved the upgrade experience by ensuring the ISE node and environment are in a healthy state before upgrade begins. These improvements collectively enhance the overall user experience, making system management more accessible and less time-consuming.

 Advanced security features

The security enhancements in Cisco ISE 3.x are noteworthy. With the integration of advanced threat intelligence and machine learning algorithms, ISE 3.x can better detect and respond to sophisticated threats. Automated policy enforcement ensures that unauthorized devices are promptly identified and blocked, while adaptive network controls enable dynamic adjustments to security policies based on real-time threat assessments. The addition of agentless posture on Windows and macOS has added new ways to ensure compliance before allowing network access without an agent. In addition, a "quality of life" improvement to posture is that session status sharing is now allowed between PSN cutting down on the number of posture checks needed. These features significantly bolster the network's defenses, ensuring robust protection against emerging cyber threats.

 Scalability and performance

Cisco ISE 3.x is engineered for high scalability and improved performance. It supports larger deployments and can handle increased network traffic without compromising on speed or efficiency. The scalability for ISE 3.0 is up to 2,000,000 concurrent endpoints supported. This is particularly beneficial for organizations experiencing growth or requiring expansive network coverage. The optimized performance also translates to faster authentication processes and reduced latency, contributing to a smoother and more reliable network experience.

 Integration and compatibility

One of the standout features of Cisco ISE 3.x is its enhanced compatibility with other network solutions and devices. With the inclusion of an API gateway, connectivity to third-party devices is now all handled through a single API, routing information appropriately inside the ISE deployment. The improved integration capabilities allow for seamless interoperability with a wide range of third-party applications and services. This ensures that organizations can leverage their existing infrastructure while adopting new technologies without facing compatibility issues. ISE 3.3 is also able to support a very-small deployment node requiring only 8 CPUs for tactical deployments (vs 16.)

 Benefits of migrating from 2.x to 3.x

Migrating from Cisco ISE 2.x to 3.x brings numerous advantages. Firstly, the upgrade offers access to the latest security features and performance improvements, ensuring that the network remains secure and efficient. The enhanced user interface and dashboard simplify management tasks, reducing administrative overhead. Additionally, the scalability and integration capabilities of ISE 3.x provide greater flexibility and support for future expansions. Overall, migrating to Cisco ISE 3.x is a strategic move that enhances security, improves user experience, and ensures the network is equipped to handle evolving demands.

 Upgrading from Cisco ISE 2.x to Cisco ISE 3.3 brings several new security features, including:

  • Enhanced Zero Trust Capabilities: Cisco ISE 3.3 strengthens zero-trust security by improving network segmentation improved device groups and SGTs) and access control
  • Basic Evolutions: Policy engine is completely re-coded from scripts to binary. This allows a 
  • Improved API & Automation: The latest version introduces Open API support, enabling better automation for system and policy management
  • Cloud-Ready Deployment: Unlike ISE 2.x, ISE 3.3 is designed for cloud integration, allowing organizations to unify security policies across on-prem and off-prem environments
  • Improved Encryption & Protocol Support: ISE 3.3 supports stronger encryption standards and updated TLS versions (EAP-TLS and TEAP), ensuring better protection against cyber threats. This also supports new CORA standards as well
  • Simplified Operations & Automation: Allows agentless posture checks without requiring a client application. The newer version introduces automation tools like Ansible and Terraform, making security policy enforcement more efficient
  • Stronger Authentication & Identity Management: ISE 3.3 integrates with Microsoft on- and off-prem Active Directory. It supports a vastly expanded source of truth integration. Two-factor and multi-factor authentication and cloud-based identity management are all supported, including FIDO2 (supporting CAC).

In conclusion, Cisco ISE 3.x is a robust and versatile solution that addresses the growing security and performance needs of modern networks. Its advanced features and improvements over ISE 2.x make it a compelling choice for organizations seeking to enhance their network security and management capabilities. By migrating to Cisco ISE 3.x, organizations can achieve a more secure, scalable, and efficient network environment, ready to face the challenges of the future.

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