Basic Cisco ISE Interview Questions

What is Cisco ISE?

Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine) is a network security policy management platform that provides secure access to network resources.

What are the key features of Cisco ISE?

Key features include network access control, guest access management, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) support, and endpoint posture assessment.

How does Cisco ISE authenticate users?

Cisco ISE supports various authentication techniques, including 802.1X, MAB (MAC Authentication Bypass), and web authentication.

What are the deployment models available for Cisco ISE?

Cisco ISE can be deployed as a standalone, distributed, or hybrid deployment.

What is 802.1X, and how does it relate to Cisco ISE?

802.1X is a network access control protocol that Cisco ISE uses to authenticate users and devices before allowing network access.

What is the purpose of the Cisco ISE posture assessment?

Posture assessment checks the security status of endpoints. It includes checking antivirus status and OS patch levels. This ensures compliance before granting access.

What are the key components of Cisco ISE?

The key components include the Administration node, Policy Service node, Monitoring and Troubleshooting node, and the pxGrid (Platform Exchange Grid).

Explain Cisco ISE’s role in BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments.

Cisco ISE provides device onboarding, profiling, and secure access management for BYOD environments.

What is MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB) in Cisco ISE?
MAB is a fallback authentication method that uses the device’s MAC address for authentication if 802.1X is not available.

What are the licensing options available for Cisco ISE?

Cisco ISE offers three licensing types: Base, Plus, and Apex, each providing different levels of features and functionality.

Intermediate Cisco ISE Interview Questions

What is Cisco ISE profiling, and how does it work?

Profiling identifies and classifies devices on the network based on their behavior and attributes like MAC OUI, DHCP, and SNMP.

How does Cisco ISE integrate with Active Directory (AD)?

Cisco ISE integrates with AD for user authentication and identity management, enabling policies based on AD groups and attributes.

What is TrustSec, and how does it relate to Cisco ISE?

TrustSec is a security architecture. It uses Security Group Tags (SGTs) to enforce policies. Cisco ISE assigns and manages SGTs.

What are Authorization Profiles in Cisco ISE?

Authorization profiles are used to define the level of network access and permissions granted to authenticated users or devices.

How does Cisco ISE handle guest access management?

Cisco ISE provides guest portals, self-registration, and sponsorship-based guest access management features.

What is pxGrid, and why is it important in Cisco ISE?

pxGrid (Platform Exchange Grid) is an open data-sharing framework. It allows Cisco ISE to share contextual information with other network security devices.

Explain the difference between CoA (Change of Authorization) and Reauthentication in Cisco ISE.

CoA is used to change a user’s session privileges dynamically. Reauthentication forces the user to re-authenticate based on new policies.

How can Cisco ISE help in managing endpoint compliance?

Cisco ISE performs posture checks, ensures compliance with security policies, and can quarantine or restrict non-compliant devices.

What is TACACS+, and how does it relate to Cisco ISE?

TACACS+ is a Cisco proprietary protocol for AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting). Cisco ISE can use it to manage administrative access to network devices.

How do you set up network device groups in Cisco ISE?

Network device groups categorize network devices to apply different policies based on the device type, location, or role.

Advanced Cisco ISE Interview Questions

What are the common troubleshooting steps for Cisco ISE authentication failures?

Common steps include checking the authentication logs, verifying network connectivity, confirming correct configuration of RADIUS settings, and reviewing policy sets.

Explain the process of creating a policy set in Cisco ISE.

A policy set is created by defining conditions for authentication and authorization rules. You decide which policy elements to apply based on the identity and context.

How do you integrate Cisco ISE with other security solutions like Firepower or AMP?

Integration can be done using pxGrid for context exchange, REST APIs, or configuring shared network elements for enforcement.

What are Cisco ISE TrustSec policies, and how are they enforced?

TrustSec policies use Security Group Tags (SGTs) and Security Group Access Control Lists (SGACLs). They dynamically enforce access control. This is based on user roles and device types.

How do you set up a Cisco ISE distributed deployment?

A distributed deployment involves setting up multiple nodes with specific roles (e.g., PSNs, MnTs, PANs) and configuring node groups and replication.

What are the different ways of backup and restore in Cisco ISE?

Cisco ISE supports manual and scheduled backups, which can be restored through the ISE Admin GUI or CLI.

How does Cisco ISE support multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

Cisco ISE integrates with third-party MFA providers to enforce extra authentication factors like OTP, smart cards, or biometric verification.

What are the steps to migrate from Cisco ACS to Cisco ISE?

The migration process includes preparing the environment. It also involves exporting configuration and data from ACS. Finally, importing it into ISE using the ACS-to-ISE migration tool is required.

How do you handle performance tuning in Cisco ISE for large-scale deployments?

Performance tuning involves optimizing the number of PSNs, configuring load balancing, adjusting timeout settings, and regularly monitoring system performance metrics.

Explain how to use Cisco ISE for IoT device management.

Cisco ISE can profile IoT devices, apply specific policies based on their classification, and enforce network segmentation and access restrictions.