What is the purpose of an External Identity Source in Cisco ISE?

The purpose of an External Identity Source in Cisco ISE is primarily to integrate external databases for authentication and authorization. This capability allows Cisco ISE to leverage existing user data and credentials stored in systems such as Active Directory, LDAP, RADIUS, or other directory services. By doing this, organizations can centralize user authentication processes while maintaining security and ensuring efficient access management across various resources.

Utilizing an external identity source enables ISE to validate user credentials against these external databases during access requests. This integration simplifies user management, as it eliminates the need to create and maintain duplicate user profiles within ISE, enhancing overall operational efficiency and security posture. By authenticating users through established identity sources, organizations can better control access policies based on pre-existing attributes and group memberships in those systems.