Technical Consultant at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Consultant
Aug 3, 2023
The most valuable feature is the visibility element, the ability for customers to be able to see what devices are actually on their network. Without a solution like ISE, they would have no idea what devices are connected to their network. It offers them the ability to authenticate devices via mobile.
Network Engineer at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Aug 3, 2023
The most important feature for us is visibility in terms of user connections. It's the ability to see what devices are online for a particular user that helps a lot with our troubleshooting.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
Network Technical Lead at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 15, 2023
For me, the TACACS feature is the most valuable. I have also used Cisco ISE with LDAP, not with Active Directory. That works for me because I prefer LDAP versus Active Directory.
Network Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 15, 2023
The most valuable feature is AnyConnect Posture because it scans all the programs on the workstation and checks if the antivirus is up to date, as well as the cryptographic keys on our SSD.
Network Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Jun 15, 2023
TACACS and .1X security are the most valuable features. TACACS acts for user control, so no one can authenticate to our network devices, and .1X is to validate that unauthorized devices are plugged into our network.
Network Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jun 15, 2023
With NAC, the profiling feature is valuable. We're able to see what we have out there in the network and dynamically assign policies to it. We can then use that to enforce TrustSec policy or anything else with NAC.
Sr Network Consultant at CAE Technology Services Limited
Consultant
Top 20
Mar 30, 2023
A lot of customers use a third party to manage their guest Wi-Fi. Cisco ISE presents the ability to bring that in-house so that customers can have full control over it, change the branding, and get extra telemetry from it and the user data. It works really well for our customers.
Lead Network Engineer at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Aug 5, 2022
I really enjoy the live log section. Sometimes, you will have someone who is having issues connecting to the network, and then you have to ask them the dreaded question of, "Did you type a password wrong?" They will probably tell you, "No," but the live log can help sort that out. It gives us that extra ability to assist the end user and make sure that we are making them happy.
Network Security Engineer at Kooperativa pojistovna, a.s., Vienna Insurance Group
Real User
Aug 5, 2022
The most valuable thing in ISE is the adoption of EAP deep that came in [version] 2.7, so we can do authentication based on user and machine certificates in one authentication.
When we use ISE, one of the helpful things is that I can go through the dashboard and get every step along the way of how a device was authenticated. If it's failing, why did it fail? Why is it unauthorized? If there's an error, what is the error and how can I fix that error? If it's something that, if they should be passing, why are they failing?
It does a good job of establishing trust for each access request, no matter the source. It's also very effective at helping with the distributed network and at securing access.
Sr. Architect at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jun 26, 2022
One of the advantages is that you can easily find rogue endpoints. For example, if you don't want to allow any endpoints where you don't know the people plugging into what kind of devices, ISE can give you a big, clear picture, e.g., what kind of endpoints are getting connected to your network. That is one of the advantages.
Network Architect at Tarrant Regional Water District
Real User
Jun 26, 2022
The endpoint profiling feature is among the most valuable because it keeps me from having to manually maintain a MAC address bypass list to track endpoints. I can have ISE profile them for me and then put them in the right bucket.
Sr.Manager at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Nov 2, 2021
The most valuable features are authentication, we have more granular control on the access policies for the administrators. The solution is easy to use, has a center point administration, and has a good GUI.
Deputy Head of IT at a legal firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Mar 1, 2021
The way we can trust this solution is the most valuable. We have no issue with this product. It is a competitive product. You need to have a very good and deep knowledge of the product to take the full benefits of all the features, but it is a good product.
Network Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jul 13, 2020
The feature that I most like is that it can notify me whenever someone plugs in their device, which is not allowed. I get notifications for new laptop devices.
I think the user interface looks good compared to previous versions.
Unified Networks at a program development consultancy with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Feb 18, 2019
Visitors can be granted access to the wifi network using their cellphones, notebooks or tablets in a very easy way. The ease of accessibility that anyone can have to the network is very quick and is a big improvement in our network.
In terms of scalability, you need to factor in your licenses. With a virtual platform, the scalability is more than sufficient. We have over one thousand users.
For guests we give them limited access to the internet when they come in so that access has been useful. Previously, we just used to give them the APN key which they would leave with. Now, we give them credentials to use that are for a limited period of time.
Presales Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Feb 10, 2019
We found that the most valuable features associated with this tool are posture assessment, policy management, VLAN assignments, guest assignment, and BYOD services. In addition to these services, the Cisco IOS software switch configuration feature is another very valuable aspect of the policy and compliance solution.
Network Administrator at a government with 51-200 employees
Real User
Feb 10, 2019
After the product was installed, no one could access the secure connection network. In order for any laptop or any endpoint device to attach to my network, it needs to be authorized or be certified to be connected.
Manager - IT Security & Process Compliance at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Feb 5, 2019
We have multiple metal devices from different places that use management, so we need to know who would be accessing all those devices and what changes are being done to those metal devices. With Cisco ISE we have visibility of all the changes happening on those devices.
Security Engineer at a energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Feb 4, 2019
The initial setup was easy. It took around one month. We did the installation part within half an hour to two hours but we found a couple of issues so we raised a case and once everything was resolved it was a month in total.
Information Security System Specialist at everis New Company Erifson
Real User
Jan 31, 2019
It is scalable because we use a network load balancer at the front of the PSN. It can be extended as we want to multiply. It's scalable to our environment. We have around 8,000 users and we are planning to expand it.
For device administration, all devices have multifactor authentication in collaboration with IT, so it secures access to all of our devices. For guest and wireless access, it's a matter of a lowly manager who we give access to the portal and he can assign access to the guests, so it's a very simple process now. It keeps the IT focusing on their work, and gives the business people the right access.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) offers comprehensive network access control and visibility, supporting features like 802.1X authentication, profiling, and posturing. It integrates with Microsoft and other Cisco products, facilitating robust security policies across distributed networks.Cisco Identity Services Engine is a key player in network access control, offering centralized management and a user-friendly interface. It supports zero trust principles and provides strong authentication...
Cisco ISE is a comprehensive solution that allows you to control access to network resources granularly based on policies.
The product is useful for device administration.
The valuable feature of the solution lies in its integration capabilities with other applications.
The most valuable feature is the visibility element, the ability for customers to be able to see what devices are actually on their network. Without a solution like ISE, they would have no idea what devices are connected to their network. It offers them the ability to authenticate devices via mobile.
The most important feature for us is visibility in terms of user connections. It's the ability to see what devices are online for a particular user that helps a lot with our troubleshooting.
It works as a good RADIUS server. It has lots of features. It works with all the proprietary Cisco AB pairs and features.
For me, the TACACS feature is the most valuable. I have also used Cisco ISE with LDAP, not with Active Directory. That works for me because I prefer LDAP versus Active Directory.
The live logs and live sessions for troubleshooting are the most valuable features because they provide a detailed report of any issues.
The most valuable feature is AnyConnect Posture because it scans all the programs on the workstation and checks if the antivirus is up to date, as well as the cryptographic keys on our SSD.
Assisting a larger number of users in gaining access and guiding them through the process of getting on Cisco ISE has been seamless.
The ability to allow or deny hosts onto the network is valuable. It provides great security to the network environment.
The solution enables us to do everything from one interface.
Cisco ISE's profiling and posturing features ensure that all devices are compliant with regulatory authorities.
TACACS and .1X security are the most valuable features. TACACS acts for user control, so no one can authenticate to our network devices, and .1X is to validate that unauthorized devices are plugged into our network.
With NAC, the profiling feature is valuable. We're able to see what we have out there in the network and dynamically assign policies to it. We can then use that to enforce TrustSec policy or anything else with NAC.
Being able to authenticate wired users through 802.1X is valuable as it enhances our security.
Cisco ISE's integration with other external identity servers like Duende is very simple and easy.
Cisco ISE integrates with everything else.
Cisco ISE scales exceptionally well.
A lot of customers use a third party to manage their guest Wi-Fi. Cisco ISE presents the ability to bring that in-house so that customers can have full control over it, change the branding, and get extra telemetry from it and the user data. It works really well for our customers.
I really enjoy the live log section. Sometimes, you will have someone who is having issues connecting to the network, and then you have to ask them the dreaded question of, "Did you type a password wrong?" They will probably tell you, "No," but the live log can help sort that out. It gives us that extra ability to assist the end user and make sure that we are making them happy.
The most valuable thing in ISE is the adoption of EAP deep that came in [version] 2.7, so we can do authentication based on user and machine certificates in one authentication.
When we use ISE, one of the helpful things is that I can go through the dashboard and get every step along the way of how a device was authenticated. If it's failing, why did it fail? Why is it unauthorized? If there's an error, what is the error and how can I fix that error? If it's something that, if they should be passing, why are they failing?
It does a good job of establishing trust for each access request, no matter the source. It's also very effective at helping with the distributed network and at securing access.
One of the advantages is that you can easily find rogue endpoints. For example, if you don't want to allow any endpoints where you don't know the people plugging into what kind of devices, ISE can give you a big, clear picture, e.g., what kind of endpoints are getting connected to your network. That is one of the advantages.
The posture assessment is a valuable feature because of the ability to do assessments on the clients before they connect to the network.
We have seen ROI. It has done its job. It has protected us when we needed it to.
The endpoint profiling feature is among the most valuable because it keeps me from having to manually maintain a MAC address bypass list to track endpoints. I can have ISE profile them for me and then put them in the right bucket.
SGTs are valuable because they make it easy to enforce policies, instead of pushing them across all the other platforms.
The policy sets give us more granular groups for end-user access.
The TACACS and RADIUS have been the most valuable features so far.
It's scalable.
ISE's most valuable feature is integration between IT and OTs.
I like the automation of the collection of information.
Stable network administration solution that can be installed easily, and comes with fast technical support.
The best features are the scalability and the license structure.
The most valuable feature is the ASDM - the user interface makes it very easy to configure the firewall.
The WiFi portal in Cisco ISE is very useful for WiFi customers.
From a configuration point of view, it's simple.
We were originally a Cisco shop and Cisco ISE integrated well with our other Cisco switches and networks.
The most valuable features are authentication, we have more granular control on the access policies for the administrators. The solution is easy to use, has a center point administration, and has a good GUI.
When you push out the policy, it is able to populate the entire network at one time.
It has all of the features available, in fact, more than what you need.
Typically, the installation is pretty simple.
The most valuable features are the NAC and the bundles that are available with Cisco ISE, such as Cisco ACS being integrated.
The ability to integrate our Cisco AnyConnect connections to the active directory has been great.
The way we can trust this solution is the most valuable. We have no issue with this product. It is a competitive product. You need to have a very good and deep knowledge of the product to take the full benefits of all the features, but it is a good product.
In terms of features, I think they've done a lot of improvement on the graphical user interface — it looks really good right now.
They have recently made a lot of improvements. My clients don't have much to complain about.
I like the guest access feature, which has been important for us.
Technical support is okay.
At the moment, ISE seems to integrate very well with a number of other technologies.
It is stable and easy to use.
One of the most important features is the authentication security for the individual connection to the network through their computer or laptop.
It's flexible and stable. It's been good as a standard environment to run.
The interconnection with the ecosystem and the ability to force rules all over the network are the most important features.
The most valuable feature is the integration with StealthWatch and DNA as one fabric.
The user experience of the solution is great. It's a very transparent system.
The implementation is very simple.
The solution cuts down on the repercussions of getting malware or ransomware.
The feature that I most like is that it can notify me whenever someone plugs in their device, which is not allowed. I get notifications for new laptop devices.
I think the user interface looks good compared to previous versions.
The features that do work, work well, and we use it on a daily basis.
The biggest value of ISE is that it can get so granular with gaming systems, versus IoT and BYOD.
Easy to use and provides good support
Using this solution gives us the ability to allow proper access to the network.
The best feature of the Cisco ISE platform is that it is compatible with Microsoft products.
Visitors can be granted access to the wifi network using their cellphones, notebooks or tablets in a very easy way. The ease of accessibility that anyone can have to the network is very quick and is a big improvement in our network.
In terms of scalability, you need to factor in your licenses. With a virtual platform, the scalability is more than sufficient. We have over one thousand users.
For guests we give them limited access to the internet when they come in so that access has been useful. Previously, we just used to give them the APN key which they would leave with. Now, we give them credentials to use that are for a limited period of time.
We found that the most valuable features associated with this tool are posture assessment, policy management, VLAN assignments, guest assignment, and BYOD services. In addition to these services, the Cisco IOS software switch configuration feature is another very valuable aspect of the policy and compliance solution.
After the product was installed, no one could access the secure connection network. In order for any laptop or any endpoint device to attach to my network, it needs to be authorized or be certified to be connected.
We have multiple metal devices from different places that use management, so we need to know who would be accessing all those devices and what changes are being done to those metal devices. With Cisco ISE we have visibility of all the changes happening on those devices.
The initial setup was easy. It took around one month. We did the installation part within half an hour to two hours but we found a couple of issues so we raised a case and once everything was resolved it was a month in total.
It is scalable because we use a network load balancer at the front of the PSN. It can be extended as we want to multiply. It's scalable to our environment. We have around 8,000 users and we are planning to expand it.
For device administration, all devices have multifactor authentication in collaboration with IT, so it secures access to all of our devices. For guest and wireless access, it's a matter of a lowly manager who we give access to the portal and he can assign access to the guests, so it's a very simple process now. It keeps the IT focusing on their work, and gives the business people the right access.