The Benefits of the SD-Access solution

Why SD-Access is needed

With the growth of users and different device types coming into the network, configuring user credentials and maintaining a consistent policy across the network, both wired and wireless, is more complex. And as users move around the network, identifying and troubleshooting issues becomes more difficult. The bottom line is that the networks of today do not address today’s business needs effectively.

Without adequate knowledge of who and what is on the network and how they are using it, network administrators cannot create endpoint inventories or map traffic flows, leaving them unable to properly control the network.
Effective network segmentation, a well-recognized security best practice, can be exceptionally difficult to achieve in a complex network with a variety of users and devices requiring different access privileges. Traditional IP-address-based methods with firewalls, VLANs, and Access Control Lists (ACLs) do not scale and are not efficient in responding to real-time needs.

Cisco SD-Access features and benefits:

Cisco SD-Access improves networking operations by automating network configurations to implement these policies:

Identify, profile, and group endpoints: SD-Access uses AI- and ML-based advanced analytics for endpoint identification and grouping. It analyzes traffic flows between groups and define effective access policies.

Segment network based on defined policies: SD-Access applies group-based access policies for effective multilevel segmentation, leading to zero-trust security.

Analyze endpoint behavior and verify trust: SD-Access continuously scrutinizes endpoint behavior, scans for vulnerabilities, and verifies their trustworthiness for continued access.

Rapidly contain threats and prevent data breaches: SD-Access reduces zones of trust, isolates rogue or compromised endpoints, and enhances regulatory compliance.