Intelligent Workplace Connectivity

Orchestrate secure, seamless access for every user type—visitors, contractors, BYOD, and IoT—using Flexible Cloud NAC and Multi-PSK technology.

Figure 1: Architectural overview of Intelligent Workplace Connectivity

Deep Dive

The modern corporate office is a hub of transient activity. From daily visitors and cleaning crews to VIP delegations and employee personal devices, the "one-password-fits-all" approach to Guest Wi-Fi is dead. It creates security holes and frustrates users.

The Solution: User-Centric Access Model

We break down how a Cloud NAC solution addresses specific scenarios by User Persona:

A. The Temporary Visitor (Meetings & Showcases)

The Need: Quick access for a laptop and phone to present slides or check email.

The Workflow: User connects to a branded Self-Service Captive Portal. Their host (employee) receives a Sponsorship Approval notification (via Slack/Email) to validate access, ensuring accountability.

Advanced: Use physical QR codes inside meeting rooms to prevent "parking lot" hacking.

B. The Contractor & Long-Term Partner

The Need: A cleaning crew or IT contractor who comes every day for a month. They cannot log in daily via a portal.

The Workflow: Multi-PSK (MPSK). Each contractor gets a unique Wi-Fi password. It works like a home password but is unique to them. If they leave, IT revokes *only their key* without affecting others.

C. The Employee (BYOD & Personal Devices)

The Need: Connecting a personal iPhone without compromising corporate data.

The Workflow: Passpoint & Directory Integration. Employees authenticate via SSO (Okta/Azure AD). They are placed on a specific VLAN with higher bandwidth but segregated from core servers. Passpoint ensures they auto-connect daily without re-entering credentials.

D. Events & Delegations (Bulk Onboarding)

The Need: A delegation of 50 people arrives for a summit.

The Workflow: Event organizers generate a single "Event Code" that bypasses sponsorship for a set duration, allowing instant, self-signed onboarding for the group.

E. Headless & Medical Devices (IoT)

The Need: A smart display or legacy printer with no browser.

The Workflow: These devices use MPSK or MAC-Auth. They are treated as "Unsecured Guest Devices" but given a stable connection via a unique key, isolating them from the rest of the network.

Feature Spotlight:

Cloud NAC: Centralized policy engine deciding who gets access.

Multi-PSK (MPSK): Unique keys for headless devices and contractors.

Passpoint: The "Gold Standard" for seamless BYOD roaming.

Geo-Fencing: Binding access to physical locations via QR codes.

Zero-Touch IT

Self-service portals and sponsorship offload work from the helpdesk. No more tickets for Wi-Fi passwords.

Granular Security

Employees get high-speed/unlimited access; guests get internet-only access; IoT gets isolated access—all on the same infrastructure.

Compliance & Audit

Full audit trails of exactly who is on the network, who sponsored them, and when their access expires.

The Challenge

Managing different security policies for a CEO’s iPad, a cleaning contractor’s phone, and a visitor’s laptop is manually impossible. Strict security often means poor user experience (UX), while 'open' networks create massive liabilities.

Solution Engineering

A Flexible Cloud NAC solution. It orchestrates secure, seamless access for every type of user. By leveraging technologies like Multi-PSK (MPSK), Passpoint, and dynamic Captive Portals, it ensures security never comes at the expense of the user experience.

Technical Requirements

Cloud NAC Policy Engine
Multi-PSK (MPSK) / iPSK Capability
Passpoint / Hotspot 2.0 Support
Sponsorship Workflow (Email/Slack/Teams)
Dynamic VLAN Assignment

Best Practices

Enable 'Sponsor Approval' for anyone needing access to internal resources.

Use Multi-PSK for contractors with a set expiration date (e.g., 30 days).

Implement physical QR codes in meeting rooms to bind access to location.

Isolate IoT/Headless devices on separate VLANs using unique MPSK keys.

Target Outcomes

Zero Trust Security posture for visitors

Auditable access logs for compliance (ISO 27001)

Reduced IT Helpdesk tickets for WiFi passwords

Frequently Asked Questions

Multi-PSK allows multiple different passwords to work on the same Wi-Fi SSID. Each password is tied to a specific user or device profile, allowing IT to revoke one specific device without changing the password for everyone else.

When a guest registers on the portal, they enter their host's email. The host receives a one-click approval link via Email, Slack, or Teams. Access is granted only after the host clicks 'Approve'.