Cisco Technology, Inc.

Ramesh Nampelly

Pok Wong

Amol Borole

Lokesh Ethirajan

Aaron Rodriguez

In one embodiment, a device in a network extracts words from traffic data for a particular endpoint node in the network. The device determines one or more topical categories associated with the particular endpoint node by applying a machine learning-based topical model to the extracted words. The device identifies one or more similar endpoint nodes in the network based on the determined one or more topical categories associated with the particular endpoint node and on one or more topical categories associated with the one or more similar endpoint nodes. The device determines a device type for the particular endpoint node based on a device type associated with the one or more similar endpoint nodes.

Network endpoint profiling using a topical model and semantic analysis

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving at an enforcement node, a request to access a network from an endpoint, transmitting at the enforcement node, the access request to a policy server, receiving at the enforcement node from the policy server, a dynamic authorization comprising a plurality of ranks, each of the ranks comprising a policy for access to the network by the endpoint, assigning the endpoint to one of the ranks and applying the policy associated with the rank to traffic received from the endpoint at the enforcement node during a communication session between the endpoint and the network, assigning the endpoint to a different rank, and applying the policy associated with the rank to traffic received from the endpoint during the communication session. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Network access with dynamic authorization

A computing device providing a network service to a service area may receive a connection request from a user device and generate a session start request to start a user session in a service domain covering the service area. One or more policy rules may be evaluated to determine whether any rule is applicable to the user device, which includes determining that an authoritative user session has already been established in the service domain. The user session may be established in the service domain for the user device, and at least one permission for access to a controlled network resource may be associated with the user session based on the determination that the authoritative user session has already been established. A request from the user device to access the controlled network resource may be received and access to the controlled network resource may be granted.

Managing network resource access using session context

A server is in communication with a network device that has network connectivity to an endpoint device. The server receives from the network device a packet that includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the endpoint device. A determination is made as to whether at least a portion of the MAC address matches stored information for MAC addresses of known endpoint devices. One or more attributes that carry further descriptive information of the endpoint device are extracted from the packet. It is determined based whether the endpoint device can be classified at a level of granularity according to a policy rule. If the endpoint device cannot be classified at the level of granularity, a probe function is dynamically selected based on the one or more attributes extracted from the packet and the MAC address to collect additional data about the endpoint device.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ramesh Nampelly