What is the purpose of posture assessment in Cisco ISE?

The purpose of posture assessment in Cisco ISE is to evaluate the security status of endpoints before granting network access. This process involves checking devices for compliance with predefined security policies, such as antivirus status, operating system patches, and firewall configurations. By performing this assessment, Cisco ISE ensures that only devices meeting the organization's security requirements can connect to the network. This helps mitigate risks associated with vulnerabilities in endpoints and maintains a secure environment.

In contrast, enforcing VPN policies, logging user authentication attempts, and providing guest management options relate to other functionalities of Cisco ISE but do not directly involve the assessment of endpoint security health. Therefore, posture assessment plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall security posture by validating the configurations and security status of devices attempting to access the network.