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| New Self Defending Network Security Innovations Cisco Systems, Inc. has announced significant new services to its "Anti-X" network threat prevention and Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN) solutions, underscoring its commitment to the Cisco Self-Defending Network security strategy. These innovations will help customers better identify, prevent and adapt to security threats, and tailor connectivity to serve a wide variety of deployment scenarios. The new Content Security and Control security services module (CSC-SSM) for the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) 5500 Series provides a comprehensive set of market-leading Anti-X services. These services unify antivirus, anti-spyware, file blocking, anti-spam, anti-phishing, URL blocking and filtering, and content filtering. Developed in alliance with Trend Micro, this award-winning technology shields internal network resources against malware and malicious Internet threats at the Internet gateway. Unlike solutions that provide "in-the-wild" or limited protections, the Cisco ASA 5500 Series delivers an integration of robust antivirus and content security technologies with market-leading firewall and threat protected VPN services. This gives customers superior protection in an easy to administer solution while reducing the operational costs and complexity of deploying and managing multiple point solutions. Anti-X services delivered on the CSC-SSM include anti-virus technology for inspecting and cleaning e-mail and Internet web traffic at the perimeter, which helps ensure business continuity and eliminate the need for resource-intensive clean-ups. Customers can also block spyware from entering the network through Internet web and e-mail traffic and block spam with extremely low false positives thus maintaining uninterrupted e-mail communications. The availability of anti-phishing protection helps prevent employees from inadvertently disclosing company or personal information. Real-time protections for Web access, mail and file transfers are also available reducing threats associated with employees accessing web-based email applications and downloading contaminated files and programs. In addition, CSC-SSM offers a rich set of URL filtering capabilities that help block access to inappropriate or non-work-related websites. The ability to conduct e-mail filtering improves employee productivity, minimizes legal liability due to exposure to offensive material, and helps enforce regulatory compliance. These Anti-x services are managed through an easy "set-and-forget" remotely accessible Web-console with automated updates reducing deployment time and effort. The SSL VPN services for the Cisco (ASA) 5500 Series family of security appliances coupled with SSL VPN capabilities on Cisco IOS routers expand the breadth of Cisco's market-leading security product portfolio. Both products deliver new advanced clientless and client-based SSL VPN functionality with robust endpoint and network security while lowering operational and equipment costs. The Cisco ASA 5500 Series version 7.1 software enables the Cisco ASA 5500 Series family to deliver up to 5, 000 concurrent SSL VPN sessions per device so that organizations of all sizes can provide remote and mobile employees with simple, highly secure access to the applications and network resources they need from just about any location. Integrated VPN load-balancing and full-featured IPSec VPN functionality let customers reduce the equipment required to scale and secure the VPN to tens of thousands of concurrent users. This also helps eliminate the number of VPN platforms required to serve all the different types of VPN deployments including IPSec, SSL clientless and client mode support, remote access, site-to-site, and extranet thus improving manageability. The Cisco ASA 5500 Series version 7.1 software also includes SSL VPN content delivery advancements such as powerful web content transformation capabilities for complex web pages that contain Java, ActiveX, complex HTML and JavaScript. Combined with optimized application performance, multiple browser support and a customizable user portal, organizations can provide remote and mobile workers with a seamless, familiar experience when connecting to corporate resources. The Cisco ASA 5500 Series also includes a rich set of security capabilities providing a "Threat-protected VPN". These include endpoint security, threat mitigation, and application firewall and access control services which help protect VPN connections and user data from threats such as worms, viruses, spyware and hackers. Business continuity is maximized through new SSL VPN stateful failover features which boosts overall productivity. The Cisco integrated services routers (800, 1800, 2800 & 3800), Cisco 7200 and Cisco 7301 routers now also support SSL VPN and is an industry first for a secure routing platform. SSL VPN services on Cisco routers are designed to support up to 150 concurrent clientless and client-based SSL VPN sessions, and is ideally suited for small and medium businesses. Clientless access allows highly secure access to commonly used network applications such as Citrix, Outlook Web Access, and Intranet web pages. Client-based SSL VPN support extends highly secure connectivity to virtually any business application. This complements IPSec VPN and other advanced Cisco IOS-based security services including firewall and IPS, offering an easy to deploy and affordable secured access solution. The addition of SSL VPN capabilities to the Cisco integrated services routers lets customers maximize the return on their network infrastructure investments and simplify operational costs by adding SSL VPN capabilities to their routing and security platform. All Cisco SSL VPN platforms include the Cisco Secure Desktop capability. The Cisco Secure Desktop provides pre-connection security state or "posture" assessment of the connecting device, security during the session by creating a secure virtual desktop that protects sensitive data, and post-connection clean-up that eliminates all traces of sensitive session. These new SSL VPN services for the Cisco integrated services routing family underscores the continued leadership of integrating the business-critical services such as wireless, voice, switching, and security with the rich set of IP innovations within Cisco IOS delivering a strategic services platform for any network environment. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Computing News :: home page |