Cisco ISE
Cisco Identity Services Engine is a network administration product that enables you to create and enforce security policies for users and devices connecting to your organization's network infrastructure.
StrongDM
StrongDM is a dynamic access management platform that centralizes control over databases, servers, and clusters to provide secure, audited access for technical teams across any infrastructure environment.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cisco ISE | StrongDM |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cisco.com | strongdm.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | $50/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 90 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 1984 | 2015 |
| Headquarters | San Jose, USA | New York, USA |
Overview
Cisco ISE
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) gives you a centralized way to manage security across your entire network. You can see exactly who and what is connecting to your environment, whether they are using a wired, wireless, or VPN connection. By gathering real-time data from users and devices, you can make informed decisions about who gets access to specific resources and under what conditions.
You can automate your network security by creating granular policies that adapt based on the user's role, device type, and location. This helps you stop threats before they spread by automatically isolating suspicious devices. Whether you are managing a corporate office or a distributed workforce, it provides the visibility you need to maintain a zero-trust security posture without slowing down your team.
StrongDM
StrongDM simplifies how you manage access to your most sensitive technical infrastructure. Instead of juggling SSH keys, VPNs, and database credentials, you get a single entry point to manage permissions for databases, servers, and Kubernetes clusters. It acts as a proxy that sits between your team and your resources, instantly authenticating users and encrypting their connections without changing their local workflows.
You can automate the entire access lifecycle by integrating with your existing identity provider, like Okta or Azure AD. This ensures that when someone joins or leaves a team, their access is updated across every resource automatically. It also captures every query and command in a centralized audit log, helping you meet compliance requirements like SOC2 or HIPAA while giving your engineers the fast access they need to stay productive.
Overview
Cisco ISE Features
- AI Endpoint Analytics Identify and profile every device on your network automatically using AI-driven behavioral modeling to eliminate blind spots.
- Zero Trust Access Enforce software-defined segmentation to ensure you only grant users access to the specific applications they need for work.
- Automated Containment Block or quarantine compromised devices instantly through integrations with your security tools to prevent lateral movement of threats.
- Guest Access Management Create custom web portals for your visitors to provide secure, time-limited internet access without compromising your internal data.
- Compliance Monitoring Check the security posture of every device before it connects to ensure they meet your corporate encryption and antivirus standards.
- Centralized Policy Management Define your security rules once and push them across your entire global network from a single, unified management console.
StrongDM Features
- Unified Access Proxy. Access all your databases, servers, and clusters through a single client while keeping your favorite local tools.
- Dynamic Access Control. Grant or revoke permissions instantly based on roles or attributes, ensuring your team always has the right level of access.
- Automated Offboarding. Sync with your identity provider to automatically remove access across all infrastructure the moment an employee leaves.
- Complete Audit Logging. Capture every database query, SSH command, and kubectl request in a searchable log for effortless compliance reporting.
- Just-in-Time Access. Provide temporary, time-bound access to sensitive resources to reduce your attack surface and prevent credential lingering.
- Policy-Based Governance. Define granular security policies that govern who can access what, when, and from where across your global environment.
Pricing Comparison
Cisco ISE Pricing
StrongDM Pricing
- Up to 10 users
- Access to databases and servers
- Standard audit logging
- Identity provider integration
- Email support
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Unlimited users and resources
- Just-in-time access workflows
- Advanced policy engine
- High availability gateways
- 24/7 priority support
Pros & Cons
Cisco ISE
Pros
- Unmatched visibility into every device connected to your network
- Granular policy control for complex enterprise environments
- Seamless integration with the broader Cisco security ecosystem
- Powerful automation for isolating and remediating infected endpoints
- Highly scalable for global organizations with thousands of users
Cons
- Significant learning curve for initial setup and configuration
- Requires substantial hardware resources for on-premise deployments
- Licensing structure can be complex to navigate and manage
StrongDM
Pros
- Eliminates the need for multiple VPNs and SSH keys
- Simplifies compliance audits with centralized query logs
- Integrates easily with existing identity providers like Okta
- Maintains native developer workflows without adding friction
- Fast setup process for complex infrastructure environments
Cons
- Pricing can be high for very large teams
- Initial configuration of gateways requires technical expertise
- Occasional latency issues with specific database drivers