Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client vs Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) comparison

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility is a unified agent that provides different security services to help empower and protect organizations. It offers the visibility and control you need to figure out who and what is gaining access to your extended company before, during, and after an attack.

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility is an endpoint security platform that includes remote access, posture enforcement, and online security features. It provides your IT department with all of the secure access options it needs to deliver a reliable, user-friendly, and highly secure mobile experience. It not only allows VPN access via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), but it also provides additional security via built-in modules, such as Cisco Network Access Manager, Cisco

AnyConnect ISE Agent, and Cisco AnyConnect Web Security Client.

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Features

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• Accessible from any location: Cisco AnyConnect allows any user to connect to the workplace network from any device, at any time, and from any location.

• Unified endpoint compliance: Cisco AnyConnect unifies endpoint posture and remediation across wired, wireless, and VPN environments for Cisco ISE. It offers endpoint posture testing for OS levels, the most recent antivirus updates, and other resources to improve endpoint security and compliance.
  
• Web security: Cisco AnyConnect includes a web security module that may be used with either the on-premises Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA) or the cloud-based Cisco Cloud Web Security (CWS). Admins can give comprehensive secure mobility to all end users by combining online security with VPN access, which is critical for BYOD deployments.
  
• Secure network access: The Network Access Manager has advanced connection features that allow managers to decide which networks or resources endpoints can access. It includes an IEEE 802.1X supplicant as well as some unique encryption methods that can be deployed as part of authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) capabilities.
  
• Mobile device support: Cisco AnyConnect is compatible with the most common devices used by today's workforce. With per-application VPN, highly secure remote access can be device-based or powered transparently by certain enterprise mobile applications.
  
• Simplified management and usability: Cisco AnyConnect provides a consistent user experience across on-premises and off-premises devices without causing IT headaches.

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

• Endpoint security that is context-aware, comprehensive, and ongoing
• Flexible access to company resources over wired, cellular, and VPN networks
• Low cost of ownership
• User Verification
• Prevents data threats at entry
• Protects users who are off the VPN
• Uses visibility and analytics to optimize security
• Unlocks endpoint visibility

Reviews from Real Users

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its ability to be customized and its reliability. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Hakan T., Senior Solution Sales Consultant at a tech services company, writes, “Every time I have to connect to the network I use this solution. It is a customizable solution, it makes life easier for me. It makes the global workforce work much easier and more secure.”

Another PeerSpot reviewer, a Product Manager and CMOS Image Sensors at a manufacturing company, mentions, “Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client works well, we don't have any issues with it. The most valuable feature of this solution is that it works all of the time.”

Cisco ISE is an all-in-one solution that streamlines security policy management and reduces operating costs. Cisco ISE delivers visibility and access control over users and devices across wired, wireless, and VPN connections.

Identity Services Engine enables enterprises to deliver secure network access to users and devices. It shares contextual data, such as threats and vulnerabilities, with integrated solutions from Cisco technology partners. You can see what is happening in your network, which applications are running, and more.

Features of Cisco ISE

• Centralized management helps administrators configure and manage user profile characteristics - a single pane of glass for integrated management services.
• Contextual identity and business policy: The rule-based attribute is a driven policy model. The goal is to provide flexible access control policies.
• Wide range of access control options, including Virtual LAN (VLAN) URL redirections, and access control lists.
• Supplicant-less network access: You can roll out secure network access by deriving authentication from login information across application layers.
• Guest lifecycle management streamlines the experience for implementing and customizing network access for guests.
• Built-in AAA services: The platform uses standard RADIUS protocol for authentication, authorization, and accounting.
• Device auditing, administration, and access control provide users with access on a need-to-know and need-to-act basis. It keeps audit trails for every change in the network.
• Device profiling: ISE features predefined device templates for different types of endpoints.
• Internal certificate authority: Qn easy-to-deploy single console to manage endpoints and certificates.

Benefits of Cisco ISE

Cisco’s holistic approach to network access security has several advantages:

• Context-based access based on your company policies. ISE creates a complete contextual identity, including attributes such as user, time, location, threat, access type, and vulnerability. This contextual identity is used to enforce a secure access policy. Administrators can apply strict control over how and when endpoints are allowed in the network.
• Better network visibility via an easy-to-use, simple console. In addition, visibility is improved by storing a detailed attribute history of all endpoints connected to the network.
• Comprehensive policy enforcement. ISE sets easy and flexible access rules. These rules are controlled from a central console that enforces them across the network and security infrastructure. You can define policies that differentiate between registered users and guests. The system uses group tags that enable access control on business rules instead of IP addresses.
• Self-service device onboarding enables the enterprise to implement a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policy securely. Users can manage their devices according to the policies defined by IT administrators. (IT remains in charge of provisioning and posturing to comply with security policies.)
• Consistent guest experiences: You can provide guests with different levels of access from different connections. You can customize guest portals via a cloud-delivered portal editor with dynamic visual tools.

Support

You can get ISE as a physical or virtual appliance. Both deployments can create ISE clusters that create scale, redundancy, and requirements.

Licensing

Cisco ISE has four primary licences. Evaluation for up to 100 endpoints with full platform functionality. The higher tiers are Partner, Advantage and Essential.

Reviews from Real Users

"The user experience of the solution is great. It's a very transparent system. according to a PeerSpot user in Cyber Security at a manufacturing company.

Omar Z., Network & Security Engineer at an engineering company, feels that "The RADIUS Server holds the most value."

“Whether I deploy in China, the US, South Africa, or wherever, I can get all the capabilities. It allows me to directly integrate with 365, and from a communications point of view, that is a good capability," says Rammohan M., Senior Consultant at a tech services company.

Hassan A.,Technology Manager at Advanced Integrated Systems, says that "The most valuable feature is the integration with StealthWatch and DNA as one fabric."