Welcome back to another recap of LookingPoint Fireside Chat, where we bring casual yet insightful conversations on modern IT solutions. In this episode, CEO Sean Barr is joined by Marshall Hill, Solutions Architect at LookingPoint, to talk about a critical topic that’s top-of-mind for every IT leader: Security.
Despite investments in next-gen firewalls, antivirus software, and endpoint tools, many organizations still struggle with one foundational issue—lack of visibility.
Whether it's guests in a conference room, contractors plugging into shared ports, or employees bringing their own devices, many IT teams don’t have a clear picture of what’s connecting to their network—or what those devices are doing.
“Customers are still concerned about endpoint visibility, especially in shared spaces or when people bring in personal devices,” says Marshall.
Gone are the days when deploying a firewall and antivirus was enough. Today’s modern enterprise requires a layered security approach—one that addresses multiple attack vectors and correlates them into a single, actionable view.
What does a layered approach look like?
Edge protection (firewalls, IPS)
Endpoint visibility and control
Network segmentation
User and device authentication
Cloud-based security services
AI-powered threat detection and response
Conference rooms, guest areas, and co-working spaces present new challenges. You need to balance access with security—providing connectivity to visitors without compromising internal resources.
Best practices include:
802.1X authentication to validate user and device identity
Dynamic segmentation based on role, department, or device type
Posture checks to evaluate corporate vs. guest endpoints
Internet-only access for unknown or untrusted devices
These capabilities allow the network to make real-time decisions—offering secure access to employees while isolating non-corporate devices.
Smart networks don’t just react—they adapt. For example, if a printer is unplugged and replaced with a laptop, the system should detect the change and adjust access policies automatically.
Using tools like Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and 802.1X, combined with centralized policy management, IT can:
Enforce consistent security rules
Automate certificate deployment
Dynamically adjust access based on user role and device type
As more employees work remotely, traditional perimeter-based security is no longer enough. Backhauling traffic through VPNs adds latency and complexity—and often fails in places like hotels or airports.
Today’s security model must extend beyond the data center. Cloud-delivered security solutions—like Cisco Umbrella (formerly OpenDNS)—offer DNS-layer protection, no matter where users go.
Benefits include:
Visibility into web activity off-network
Threat prevention before a connection is made
Policy enforcement outside the firewall
Integration with on-prem and cloud systems for unified control
From zero-trust network access (ZTNA) to AI-driven analytics, the future of security is one where context, automation, and cloud-native capabilities converge. Customers don’t want five different dashboards. They want a single, simplified solution that protects data, users, and devices—wherever they are.
Security today is about more than just defending the edge. It’s about visibility, intelligence, and proactive control across your entire digital landscape.
At LookingPoint, we help organizations design and implement modern, layered security architectures tailored to how people work today—on-site, remote, or hybrid.
Learn more about network security here.