How U.S. Courts Can Improve Judiciary Scorecards Through Network Access Fundamentals

On Thursday, August 15th, our Iron Bow and Cisco networking experts came back with another dynamic webinar on "Network Access Fundamentals for U.S. Courts: Areas and Use Cases to Improve Your IT Judiciary Scorecard.” The session provided valuable insights into modern network security strategies tailored specifically for the judicial sector. 

The Ins and Outs of Cisco ISE 

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is crucial in securing modern network infrastructures by providing centralized policy management, dynamic access control, and comprehensive visibility into network activities. Cisco ISE enhances security posture through identity-based access controls, simplifies compliance with regulatory requirements, and seamlessly integrates with existing IT environments. 

Meet Our Experts  

Our panel of seasoned network professionals included: 

• Ryan Harrington, Sales Strategy Director at Iron Bow Technologies  
• Cory Jackson, Technical Director of Cybersecurity at Iron Bow Technologies  
• Paul Lukacs, Consulting Solutions Architect at Cisco Systems  
  

Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) Fundamentals 

The concept of Zero Trust has been around for some time, but recent years have seen more formalized guidance on its implementation. At its core, Zero Trust operates under the principle of "Never Trust, Always Verify," shifting from traditional perimeter-based security models to a more comprehensive, data-centric approach. For the judiciary, implementing Zero Trust involves three key proactive measures: 

2. Segmentation: Reduce zones of trust and grant access based on the principle of least privilege. 

3. Containment: Automate the containment of compromised endpoints and revoke their network access immediately. 

CISA’s Zero Trust Technology Pillars 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has outlined five critical technology pillars for Zero Trust: 

These pillars are underpinned by governance, automation and orchestration, and visibility and analytics, ensuring a comprehensive approach to network security. 

Overcoming Traditional Security Challenges 

Historically, security approaches have faced several challenges: 

• Perimeter-based security is increasingly ineffective. 

• The proliferation of advanced zero-day threats. 

• Insider threats remain a significant concern. 

• Compliance and data protection complexities continue to grow. 

• The rise of remote work and cloud-native adoption adds new layers of complexity to network security. 
  
  

Historical Approaches: Port-Based Security vs. Legacy NAC 

Port-Based Security offers some advantages, such as limiting the number of Media Access Control (MAC) addresses per port and allowing administrators to specify which devices can access the network. However, it has significant downsides, including a lack of visibility, scalability issues, and the cumbersome nature of managing MAC addresses manually. 

Legacy Network Access Control (NAC) provides better visibility and centralized management but is often Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based, which can be unreliable. It also requires additional inline appliances, which can reduce performance and introduce single points of failure. 

Why Network Access Control (NAC)? 

Network Access Control (NAC) is a security strategy that regulates and manages access to a network by enforcing predefined policies. It ensures that only authorized and compliant devices can connect by evaluating their security posture, such as antivirus status, software updates, and configuration settings. 

NAC solutions help prevent unauthorized access, reduce the risk of network breaches, and maintain a secure environment—essential for courts aiming to improve their IT scorecards. 

The Principle of Defense in Depth 

A defense-in-depth strategy involves multiple layers of security to protect an organization’s assets. This includes securing the network perimeter, employing endpoint security measures, using patch management tools, implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems, and managing identities and access comprehensively. 

Aligning Your Judiciary IT Scorecard with NAC 

Courts can significantly enhance their judiciary IT scorecards by leveraging NAC in the following ways: 

• Network Traffic Control: Define policies to specify which users require access to specific IT assets. 

• Enforce Traffic Policies: Implement Access Control Lists (ACLs) on network switches, routers, and firewalls to limit traffic to necessary ports or protocols. 

• Implement VLANs: Segment devices handling sensitive data, network management traffic, and critical applications using Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs). 

To gain more insights into these strategies and learn how to apply them to your judiciary IT scorecard, we invite you to watch the full webinar. 

If you're ready to start improving your network security today, reach out to our team of experts who are here to help you every step of the way. Contact Us