Integrate Identity Services Engine with Security Cloud Control

Prerequisites

• Administrative access to both Cisco ISE and Security Cloud Control consoles.
• Appropriate licensing and feature entitlements enabled on both platforms.
• SAML metadata or IdP details for single sign‑on (if SSO is required).
• Network connectivity and firewall rules permitting pxGrid/cloud connector traffic between ISE and Security Cloud.
• Test accounts and devices for validation before broad rollout.

Step‑by‑step integration procedure

1. Prepare ISE

• Confirm ISE version supports cloud/pxGrid connectors and required features.
• Enable and configure pxGrid or the cloud connector component used for context sharing.
• Ensure certificates used by ISE are valid and trusted by Security Cloud (import CA or device certs as needed).

2. Configure SSO and metadata exchange (if applicable)

• Export SAML metadata from your identity provider and import it into Security Cloud.
• Export Security Cloud SAML metadata and import it into your IdP or ISE SSO configuration as required.
• Validate SSO by logging into Security Cloud with a test IdP account.

3. Register ISE with Security Cloud

• From Security Cloud, initiate the registration or onboarding flow for an identity source.
• Provide the required ISE connection details (hostname, service endpoints, certificates, credentials).
• Approve or accept the registration on the ISE side if a mutual registration step is required.

4. Map attributes and define sharing scope

• Identify which ISE attributes will be shared (user identity, device posture, group membership, MAC/IP, posture results).
• Configure attribute filters and mappings so Security Cloud receives only the necessary context.
• Define which user/device groups and enforcement points will consume ISE context.

5. Create and apply adaptive policies in Security Cloud

• Build policies that reference ISE attributes (for example: block access for non‑compliant posture; apply limited network access for guest devices).
• Scope policies to a small pilot group for initial testing.
• Deploy policies and monitor enforcement behavior.

Verification and validation

• Registration check: Confirm ISE appears as a registered identity source in Security Cloud.
• Attribute visibility: Authenticate a test user and verify user and device attributes are visible in Security Cloud logs or dashboards.
• Policy enforcement test: Simulate access scenarios (compliant vs non‑compliant device) and confirm Security Cloud applies the expected policy actions.
• Logging: Review audit logs on both ISE and Security Cloud for successful attribute exchange and enforcement events.

Troubleshooting (common issues and fixes)

• SSO or SAML failures: Re‑export and re‑import metadata; verify clocks/timezones and certificate validity.
• Connectivity problems: Check firewall rules, DNS resolution, and that pxGrid/cloud connector ports are open.
• Missing attributes: Revisit attribute mapping and filters in ISE; ensure the attributes are enabled for sharing.
• Policy not applied: Confirm policy scope and precedence in Security Cloud; verify that the test device/user matches the policy conditions.
• Licensing or feature gaps: Verify required features are enabled and licenses are current on both platforms.

Best practices and recommendations

• Pilot first: Test with a small set of users/devices before wide deployment.
• Least privilege: Share only the attributes required for enforcement.
• Change control: Track and document policy changes and connector configuration updates.
• Monitoring: Enable detailed logging during rollout and periodically review logs for anomalies.
• Version compatibility: Confirm ISE and Security Cloud versions support the integration features you plan to use.