Cisco's PIX family firewalls and ASA 5500 Series firewalls integrate comprehensive firewall, intrusion protection, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) features in an economical, one-cabinet format. Both device series offer robust client and program policy support, mutlivector attack defense, and safe access features. The enhanced knowledge sharing of integrated security features in a stand-alone platform provides customers deploying these integrated solutions the benefits of enhanced protection, reduced COI, and less operational expense.

Cisco PIX firewalls and the ASA 5500 product line combine with IOS Firewall, the Firewall Services Module for Catalyst 6500 Series switches, and Cisco 7600 routers as parts of Cisco's flexible, integrated firewall product. Engineered with a scalable, modular approach, every offering is equipped with a specific array of options to deliver more efficient protection to different networking environments. These solutions can be individually deployed to protect certain areas of a network infrastructure, or can be grouped for a layered, protection-in-depth approach following the design best practices outlined in Cisco's SAFE framework. Completing the modular firewall product line, Cisco provides a complete security management portfolio, ranging from Cisco security device and IOS security features and embedded device managers, to standalone management applications, helping to make sure that customers can effectively use their Cisco security infrastructure investments.

Cisco PIX Firewall Appliances
The popular PIX firewall appliances offer robust user and application policy support, multivector invasion defense, and secure connectivity services in affordable, out-of-the-box modules. These purpose-built appliances provide a wealth of integrated security and connectivity capabilities including state-of-the=art process-aware firewall services, industry-leading Voice over IP and multimedia security, reliable multi-site and remote-access IP Security (IPSec) Virtual Private Network networking, excellent resiliency, intelligent networking features, and flexible administration solutions. The PIX firewall family spans compact plug-and-go appliances for small or home offices to modular gigabit appliances with greater investment protection for large business and service-provider customers, PIX Security Appliance Series provide high levels of security, performance, and reliability for network environments of all sizes.

Cisco PIX security appliances deliver a variety of configuration, tracking, and analysis options, providing businesses the flexibility to utilize the techniques that most closely match their needs. Management options range from common, policy-based administration utilities to integrated Web-accessible administration to compatibility with remote-monitoring standards such as Simple Network Management Protocol and syslog. The integrated Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) system offers a world-class Web-accessible control platform that greatly simplifies the deployment, in-place modification, and tracking of a specific Cisco PIX security appliance without the need of any additional software other than a standard browser and Java applet to be running on an administrator's computer. Administrators can furthermore remotely configure, track, and troubleshoot Cisco PIX firewalls using a command-line interface. Secure command-line interface (CLI) access is available through a number of methods, such as Secure Shell (SSHv2) Protocol, Telnet over IPSec, and out-of-band through a console port. Cisco PIX security appliances also have dependable auto-update features, a collection of advanced protected remote-administration services that ensure firewall settings and software images are kept current. Also, PIX security appliances are compatible with a number of setup and tracking tools offered by Cisco AVVID partners.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances Firewalls
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series Firewalls are specially engineered devices that bring together market-proven, industry-leading protection and VPN services with a new generation, adaptive design. The end product is a robust, multifunction network security solution better suited to protect small and midsize company and enterprise networks and, simultaneously, lower the total installation and maintenance costs of this new level of protection.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewalls provide robust application security via smart, application-sensitive inspection engines that analyze network flows at Layers 4-7. This produces a better protected network including Web, voice, and mobile wireless services. To defend networks against application-layer assaults and to offer organizations more policing of the applications and protocols utilized in their networks, these inspection engines integrate broad application and protocol knowledge and employ security enforcement technologies that include protocol anomaly detection and state tracking. Also included are assault sensing and remediation techniques including application and protocol command filtering and content verification. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewall inspection engines also provide control over instant messaging and peer-to-peer file sharing, allowing organizations to police usage policies and free up network bandwidth for critical business processes.

At the same time as improving security, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewalls also decrease deployment and support expenses. By providing extensive VPN and protection functions, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewall can be a the only platform for a multitude of environments, enabling product standardization. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series firewall can be used as a converged attack-prevention device at a central location by taking advantage of its access control, process inspection, and malicious assault mitigation technologies. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewall can also be deployed as a dedicated remote access solution utilizing its Virtual Private Network features. As an Alternative, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewall performs equally well in the network interior for inter-office connectivity control and to defend against malicious assaults internal users might inadvertently release into the network. In small company and branch office networks, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall acts as a total solution platform offering comprehensive threat defense and VPN functionality while fitting within the budgets and operational models of these situations. This adaptive one-device, multiple-use design lowers the number of devices that must be deployed and maintained while providing a common functional and administrative environment across all those deployments. This approach simplifies the education of configuration, tracking, troubleshooting, and security personnel. To further reduce maintenance expenses, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewalls are also highly network aware, enabling these devices to insert gracefully into the network without interfering with legitimate traffic and applications.

How Progent's Consultants Can Help Your Business with Cisco Firewalls
Cisco's PIX family security appliances and Cisco ASA Series adaptive security appliances provide an array of setup, monitoring, and analysis features that offer you the ability to deploy these firewalls to meet your business requirements. Progent's CISSP certified security experts can help you to create a security strategy appropriate for your environment and can set up your PIX or ASA firewall to support your protection policy. Progent's CISA-qualified IS security auditing experts and GIAC-certified network security engineers can evaluate the strength of your existing firewall deployment and help determine the overall security of your entire IT network. Progent also knows how to analyze your PIX or ASA firewall either remotely or in person, and can train your in-house network maintenance staff to configure and support your firewalls.

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