Securing Enterprise Networks with Cisco Meraki

Securing Enterprise Networks with Cisco Meraki

Discover the Power of Cisco Meraki

Unlock the full potential of Cisco Meraki with this in-depth guide, designed to help you build and secure modern, cloud-managed networks. Cisco Meraki offers a unique, cloud-managed IT platform that integrates seamlessly with Cisco’s traditional products and other third-party tools. Whether you’re a new Meraki customer, an experienced network engineer, or an IT manager looking to streamline operations, this book provides you with the knowledge and practical steps needed to secure enterprise networks effectively.

In a world where cybercrime is an ever-present threat, Meraki’s cloud-managed solutions offer a robust alternative to traditional wired and wireless networks. This book not only introduces you to the fundamentals of Meraki but also dives deep into advanced security configurations, industry best practices, and real-world use cases. By the end of this book, you’ll be equipped to implement Meraki solutions that meet stringent IT security standards and frameworks, ensuring your network is not just operational but resilient and secure.

With this book as your guide, you will gain the skills to deploy secure, cloud-managed networks using Cisco Meraki. You will learn

• Meraki’s History: Understand the evolution of Meraki from a research project at MIT to a key player in Cisco’s portfolio.
• Security Frameworks and Industry Best Practices: Learn about the essential IT security standards and frameworks and how Meraki can help you meet these requirements.
• Meraki Dashboard and Trust: Get familiar with the Meraki management portal and understand the considerations for adopting cloud-managed infrastructure.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Discover how to implement RBAC to enforce the principle of least privilege within your network.
• Securing Administrator Access to Meraki Dashboard: Master the configuration of strong authentication methods, including multifactor authentication (MFA) and SAML single sign-on (SSO).
• Security Operations: Explore the native Meraki tools and external solutions for compliance reporting, centralized logging, and incident response.
• User Authentication: Delve into the setup of authentication infrastructures supporting wired, wireless, and VPN access, including Meraki Cloud Authentication, SAML, and RADIUS.
• Wired and Wireless LAN Security: Learn how to secure your LAN with features like 802.1X authentication, firewalling, and adaptive policies.

Ryan Chaney, the lead author on this book, started his Cisco journey in his early 20s, completing his first CCIE (R+S) at the age of 25, before completing his second CCIE (Security) just 2 years later. Before joining Cisco, he worked in a variety of networking roles across the world, including time as a network architect for Visa in London. Ryan spent the first 10 years of his 15 years at Cisco as a systems engineer, educating customers, designing, and building IT solutions. His first experience with Meraki came while volunteering at the Royal Far West Centre for Country Kids, where he designed and built the network for their new headquarters in Manly, Sydney. At the time, no books had been published on Meraki. This experience and wanting to share his learnings with fellow network engineers, like you, became the inspiration for this book. Ryan lives in Bondi Beach, Australia.

Simerjit Singh, the contributing author on this book, is a seasoned Meraki solutions engineer with more than 17 years’ tenure at Cisco. From his wealth of experience working with customers in the Enterprise and SMB segments, Simerjit contributes his vast experience of the diverse needs of these customers and relevant Meraki solutions. Simerjit holds highly regarded qualifications in networking and security, including a bachelor of technology in computer science, as well as both CCIE and ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certifications. Committed to continuous learning and professional growth, Simerjit is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity from the Royal Melbourne Institute (RMIT). Simerjit lives in Melbourne with his mother, wife, and two sons.