Network Identity Security
The identity security layer between every person, device, and physical network. Certificate-based. Zero-password. Zero-trust from the first connection.
Network Identity Security is the discipline of securing every identity — person, device, or AI agent — on a physical network using certificate-based authentication and behavioral threat detection. IronWiFi is the only cloud-native platform delivering all six layers in one system: authentication, certificate provisioning, access control, guest identity, threat detection, and AI agent identity. Zero on-premises hardware required.
What Is Network Identity Security?
Network Identity Security is the security discipline that answers one question: who or what is allowed to connect to this network, and what are they doing once they're on it?
It goes beyond traditional network access control. It combines cryptographic device authentication (replacing WiFi passwords entirely), cloud PKI for certificate lifecycle management, identity-aware policy enforcement, guest identity workflows, and real-time behavioral threat detection — all integrated with your existing identity provider.
Every organization has a network. Every network is an identity security boundary. Network Identity Security is how you enforce it.
Trusted at Global Scale
IronWiFi secures network identity for organizations across 108 countries.
How Network Identity Security Works
From zero to certificate-authenticated network identity in four steps. Average deployment time: under 30 minutes.
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1
Connect your access points
Point existing APs at IronWiFi's Cloud RADIUS. No hardware replacement. Works with 45+ AP vendors including Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Ubiquiti, and Fortinet.
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2
Connect your identity provider
5-minute OAuth connection to Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, or Active Directory. User groups and access policies sync automatically.
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3
Issue device certificates
Enroll devices with X.509 certificates via SCEP, MDM, or the self-service enrollment portal. Certificates replace passwords and auto-renew before expiry.
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4
Enforce policies and monitor
Assign VLANs, bandwidth tiers, and time windows by identity group. ITDR analytics build behavioral baselines and alert on anomalies in real time.
The Six Layers of Network Identity Security
Each layer addresses a distinct security gap. IronWiFi is the only platform that delivers all six in one cloud-native system — no point solutions, no integration work, no hardware.
Authentication
Certificate-based 802.1X authentication eliminates WiFi passwords entirely. Users and devices authenticate automatically via device certificates — no credential theft possible, no phishing surface.
Cloud RADIUS · WPA-Enterprise · Conditional Access Learn about Cloud RADIUS →Certificate Provisioning
Device certificates are issued, renewed, and revoked automatically via SCEP and NDES integration. No manual configuration. No expired certificates causing outages. Once a CA trust chain is established, migration takes months — creating durable switching costs.
Cloud PKI · SCEP · Enrollment Portal Learn about Cloud PKI →Access Control
Policy-based network segmentation enforced at the identity layer. Assign users to VLANs, bandwidth tiers, and time restrictions based on group membership, device compliance state, and location — without touching firewall rules.
Conditional Access · Device Trust · IoT Authentication Learn about Conditional Access →Guest Identity
Captive portal workflows give every guest a managed identity: email/SMS verification, social login, sponsored access, or self-registration with data capture. Guest identity is stored, audited, and exportable — not anonymous.
Captive Portal · OpenRoaming · Passpoint Learn about Guest Identity →Identity Threat Detection
ITDR analytics build behavioral baselines per identity — normal hours, typical locations, standard devices. Anomalies trigger alerts and automated responses: rogue device detection, impossible travel, credential stuffing, lateral movement attempts.
WiFi ITDR · Network Intelligence · Webhooks & API Learn about WiFi ITDR →AI Agent Identity
As AI agents — copilots, autonomous systems, MCP servers — connect to enterprise networks, they require their own identity layer. IronWiFi enrolls AI agents with purpose-scoped X.509 certificates, authenticates them via 802.1X, and detects behavioral anomalies unique to non-human identities: off-schedule operation, scope deviation, and supply chain compromise signals invisible to application-layer tools.
AI Agent Certificates · Behavioral Baselining · Supply Chain Detection Learn about AI Agent Identity →Works With Every Network You Already Have
IronWiFi is vendor-neutral. One identity platform for every access point brand in your environment.
IronWiFi vs. Point Solutions
No other platform delivers all six layers of Network Identity Security — including AI agent identity — in a single cloud-native system.
| Capability | IronWiFi | Cisco ISE | Aruba ClearPass | SecureW2 | Portnox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud-native (no hardware) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 802.1X / Cloud RADIUS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in Cloud PKI / CA | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Captive Portal / Guest Identity | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| OpenRoaming / Passpoint IDP | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ITDR / Behavioral Analytics | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI Agent Identity | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi-vendor AP support | 45+ vendors | Cisco-optimized | Aruba-optimized | 30+ vendors | 30+ vendors |
| Deployment time | Minutes | Months | Weeks–months | Days | Days |
~ = available via add-on or third-party integration with additional cost and complexity
Who Network Identity Security Is For
Every team that has ever asked"who is on our network and should they be there?" needs this.
Eliminate Network Credential Risk
WiFi passwords are a credential attack surface. Certificates are not. Network Identity Security removes passwords from the authentication equation entirely — 802.1X with device certificates means stolen credentials cannot be used to access your network.
- Zero WiFi credential phishing surface
- Device compliance enforced at connection
- Behavioral anomaly detection (ITDR)
- Full audit trail of every authentication event
Replace NPS Without the Pain
Microsoft Network Policy Server is reaching end of support. Replacing it with another on-premises RADIUS means more hardware, more maintenance. IronWiFi migrates your NPS configuration to cloud RADIUS in days — no hardware, no data center dependency.
- NPS-compatible migration path
- Works with existing Entra ID / AD
- 45+ AP vendors, zero reconfiguration
- 99.99% uptime SLA across 6 global regions
Build Zero Trust From the Network Edge
Zero trust starts at the first connection. IronWiFi enforces identity verification before packets flow — every device, every user, every time. Integrate via API, Terraform, or webhooks to embed network identity into your security automation stack.
- Full REST API + Terraform provider
- Webhook events for SIEM/SOAR integration
- SCIM provisioning from Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, Google
- SOC 2 certified infrastructure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Network Identity Security?
Network Identity Security is the discipline of securing, authenticating, and monitoring every identity — person, device, or AI agent — that connects to a physical network. It encompasses certificate-based authentication (replacing passwords), device certificate provisioning, policy-based access control, guest identity management, behavioral threat detection, and AI agent identity management. IronWiFi delivers all six capabilities in a single cloud-native platform.
How is this different from traditional NAC?
Traditional Network Access Control (NAC) was built for on-premises data centers with hardware appliances. Network Identity Security is cloud-native, certificate-based, and integrates directly with modern identity providers (Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace). It goes beyond access control to include behavioral threat detection (ITDR), OpenRoaming federation for carrier-grade roaming, and AI agent identity — capabilities that no legacy NAC vendor offers.
Does IronWiFi support wired and wireless networks?
IronWiFi's Cloud RADIUS supports 802.1X authentication for both wireless (WiFi) and wired (Ethernet) network access. The platform works with 45+ access point and switch vendors including Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Ubiquiti, Ruckus, Juniper Mist, Fortinet, and more — with no proprietary hardware required.
What identity providers does IronWiFi integrate with?
IronWiFi integrates with Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, Active Directory, LDAP, and SAML 2.0 providers. Certificate-based authentication means users never type a WiFi password — authentication happens automatically via device certificates managed by IronWiFi's Cloud PKI and distributed via SCEP/MDM.
What makes IronWiFi different from Cisco ISE or Aruba ClearPass?
Cisco ISE and Aruba ClearPass are powerful on-premises NAC platforms designed for large enterprise data centers. IronWiFi is cloud-native, deploys in minutes not months, and supports 45+ AP vendors without proprietary hardware. IronWiFi includes capabilities ISE and ClearPass don't: OpenRoaming federation, WiFi ITDR behavioral analytics, and a built-in captive portal — at 80–90% lower cost at SMB and mid-market scale.
How does IronWiFi handle AI agent identity on the network?
AI agents — copilots, autonomous workflow systems, MCP servers — authenticate to enterprise networks the same way devices do: via 802.1X and RADIUS. IronWiFi issues purpose-scoped X.509 certificates to AI agents through its SCEP enrollment interface, authenticates them on the network, and applies behavioral baselines specific to non-human identities. Because AI agents have deterministic, predictable patterns (fixed schedules, consistent data volumes, no geographic mobility), deviations from baseline are high-confidence security signals. IronWiFi detects compromised AI agents, unauthorized scope expansion, and supply chain anomalies that are invisible to application-layer security tools.
What is cloud RADIUS and how does it differ from on-premises RADIUS?
RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) is the protocol used by WiFi access points to verify user and device credentials before granting network access. Traditional on-premises RADIUS runs on servers like Microsoft NPS (Network Policy Server) or FreeRADIUS inside your data center — requiring hardware, maintenance, and a single point of failure. Cloud RADIUS moves this authentication infrastructure to redundant cloud servers, eliminating hardware dependency, providing global high availability (IronWiFi operates 6 regional RADIUS clusters), and enabling certificate-based authentication that on-premises RADIUS cannot easily support. Microsoft NPS is reaching end of mainstream support, making cloud RADIUS migration an immediate priority for most Windows-based organizations.
What is the difference between WPA2-Personal and WPA2-Enterprise for WiFi security?
WPA2-Personal (PSK) uses a single shared password for the entire WiFi network. Anyone who knows the password can connect — and if one device is compromised or the password is shared externally, the entire network is exposed. WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X) uses individual credentials or certificates for each user and device. Authentication happens against a RADIUS server that verifies identity against your directory (Active Directory, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta). Each user or device gets a unique authentication session — compromising one credential doesn't expose the network. Network Identity Security is built on WPA2-Enterprise with device certificates, eliminating passwords entirely and making phishing-based network breaches structurally impossible.
What is zero trust network access and how does Network Identity Security support it?
Zero trust network access (ZTNA) is the security model that eliminates implicit trust — every connection attempt is verified regardless of whether it originates inside or outside the network perimeter. Network Identity Security implements zero trust at the physical network layer: every device must present a valid certificate before receiving network access, every session is logged, and every anomaly is flagged by ITDR analytics. IronWiFi enforces zero trust principles for WiFi and wired networks using 802.1X certificate authentication, VLAN-based micro-segmentation, device compliance checks, and continuous behavioral monitoring — the network equivalent of"verify, then trust, then verify again."
Talk to a WiFi Identity Specialist
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- Get a deployment plan for your network
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