Cisco Strengthens Security Cloud: Identity Intelligence & AI Focus

Cisco recently announced advancements to its Cisco Security Cloud at Cisco Live in Amsterdam. These updates focus on simplifying security for organizations. A key announcement is Cisco Identity Intelligence, a first-of-its-kind solution that combines identity, networking, and security for improved protection against advanced cyberattacks.

Traditional authentication methods often leave organizations vulnerable. Cisco Identity Intelligence addresses this challenge by bringing together different security areas to offer a more comprehensive defense. The importance of strong identity management is underscored by the fact that over 26% of Cisco Talos incident responses in 2023 involved compromised credentials.

Cisco Identity Intelligence offers several key features. It provides a unified view of an organization’s identities, allowing for better management and control. Additionally, it utilizes AI-powered analytics to identify risky accounts and user behaviors. This solution integrates with existing identity stores, eliminating the need for disruptive replacements.

While multi-factor authentication (MFA) remains a crucial security measure, attackers are developing workarounds. Cisco Identity Intelligence offers a new layer of defense by analyzing user behavior and network activity to detect anomalies. This can help organizations prevent successful cyberattacks even if credentials are compromised.

Fady Younes, Cisco’s Cybersecurity Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, highlighted the solution’s ability to empower organizations in the region to defend against identity-based attacks. Cisco Identity Intelligence is scheduled to launch in July 2024 and will integrate seamlessly with existing Cisco security solutions.

Cisco is also making significant investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its Security Cloud. This includes the Cisco AI Assistant for Security, which helps security teams make informed decisions, improve existing tools, and automate complex tasks.

On the network security front, Cisco Secure Access is being integrated with Cisco ThousandEyes for Experience Insights. This feature helps improve troubleshooting for remote workers by quickly revealing connectivity and application issues. Additionally, Secure Access now includes Catalyst SD-WAN, creating a comprehensive Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offering.