The Challenge

An organization struggled with securing its increasingly complex network environment. Growing numbers of devices, both personal and corporate, connected to the network, increasing the risk of unauthorized access and potential breaches. The IT team needed a comprehensive solution to enhance visibility, enforce consistent policies, and integrate with existing security tools.

The Solution

The organization deployed ClearPass for advanced network access control and security.

Key features implemented included:

  • 802.1x Authentication: Ensured only authenticated users and devices could access the network, bolstering security at the entry point.
  • Dynamic Segmentation: Automatically assigned devices to appropriate VLANs based on predefined policies, ensuring secure and optimized traffic flow.
  • Captive Portal for Guests: Enabled secure, branded access for guest users while isolating their traffic from sensitive resources.
  • Certificate-Based Authentication: Used digital certificates to authenticate devices, eliminating reliance on less secure methods like passwords.
  • Integration with Security Tools: Connected ClearPass with firewalls (Palo Alto, Fortinet), endpoint antivirus, and Active Directory for unified policy enforcement and threat mitigation.

Results

The ClearPass deployment significantly strengthened network security and usability:

  • Improved Access Control: Authenticated users and devices dynamically, ensuring only approved entities could access sensitive resources.
  • Streamlined Guest Management: Simplified onboarding for guests while maintaining network security.
  • Enhanced Visibility: Provided granular insights into who and what was accessing the network, aiding proactive threat detection.
  • Seamless Integration: Unified security management across tools, reducing complexity and response time for potential incidents.
     

Benefits at a Glance

  • Centralized access control enhances network protection.
  • Dynamic segmentation optimizes traffic and improves performance.
  • Integrated tools simplify security management and reduce vulnerabilities.
  • Scalable solution supports growing network environments and user demands.