Cisco PIX family security appliances and ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances combine next-generation firewall, intrusion defense, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) features in an affordable, one-cabinet package. Both product series offer robust client and program policy enforcement, mutlivector attack defense, and secure access features. The increased knowledge sharing of integrated security services in a single package offers users deploying these aggregated solutions the benefits of advanced security, lower cost of ownership (COI), and smaller maintenance costs.

Cisco PIX security appliances and Cisco's ASA 5500 Series join IOS Firewall, the FWSM for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches, and 7600 family routers as components of Cisco's versatile, integrated firewall solutions. Engineered with an expandable, building-block approach, each device is designed with a specific array of options to provide more efficient protection to a variety of networking environments. These solutions can be independently installed to secure certain areas of the connectivity infrastructure, or can be combined for a layered, defense-in-depth strategy based on the design best practices outlined in the Cisco SAFE Blueprint. Rounding out the integrated firewall product line, Cisco has developed a comprehensive security management portfolio, spanning Cisco security appliance and Cisco IOS security features and built-in appliance managers, to self-contained management utilities, moving to make sure that businesses can effectively manage their Cisco security infrastructure purchases.

Cisco PIX Firewall Appliances
The market-leading PIX Security Appliance Series deliver robust user and application policy support, multivector attack protection, and safe connectivity features in economical, simple-to-configure modules. These purpose-built devices offer a wealth of built-in protection and connectivity capabilities including state-of-the=art process-aware firewall services, industry-leading Voice over IP and multimedia protection, robust multi-location and remote-access IP Security Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity, high availability, smart networking features, and versatile administration options. The PIX Security Appliance Series family spans compact plug-and-play appliances for small or home offices to modular high-bandwidth products with superior investment protection for enterprise and ISP customers, Cisco PIX firewall appliances deliver dependable security, speed, and reliability for network environments of all sizes.

Cisco PIX firewalls offer a wealth of configuration, tracking, and analysis features, providing IT managers the flexibility to utilize the methods that best match their requirements. Administrative solutions cover the gamut from centralized, policy-based management tools to integrated Web-based management to compatibility with remote-monitoring protocols like SNMP and syslog. The integrated ASDM interface provides a world-class Web-based management platform that significantly simplifies the deployment, ongoing configuration, and tracking of a single PIX security appliance without requiring any extra software other than an ordinary Web browser and Java plug-in to be running on an administrator's computer. Administrators can also remotely set up, track, and troubleshoot Cisco PIX firewalls using a CLI interface. Protected command-line interface communication is possible through a number of methods, such as Secure Shell (SSHv2) Protocol, Telnet over IP Security, and out-of-band through a console port. PIX firewalls also have robust auto-update features, a collection of revolutionary protected remote-administration options that make sure that firewall configurations and software images are always current. Also, Cisco PIX security appliances are compatible with several setup and monitoring utilities offered by Cisco AVVID partners.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances Firewalls
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances Firewalls are purpose-built devices that incorporate advanced, industry-leading security and VPN support plus a new generation, flexible design. The end product is a powerful, versatile network security solution better able to protect small and medium business (SMB) and larger networks and, at the same time, reduce the total deployment and maintenance costs associated with this unprecedented level of protection.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewalls deliver a high-level of application security via smart, application-sensitive inspection processes that analyze network flows at Layers 4-7. The result is a safer network covering Web, voice, and 3G-mobile wireless access. To defend networks from application-layer assaults and to give businesses more policing of the programs and protocols utilized in their networks, these inspection engines integrate extensive application and protocol knowledgebases and employ protection enforcement technologies such as protocol anomaly detection and state tracking. Also included are attack sensing and mitigation technology such as application/protocol command filtering and URL deobfuscation. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewall inspection engines also provide management of instant messaging and tunneling applications, allowing organizations to police usage policies and preserve bandwidth for critical business applications.

At the same time as increasing network security, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series firewalls also decrease installation and operational costs. By providing broad VPN and security services, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewall can be a single device for a multitude of uses, enabling product standardization. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewall can be deployed as a consolidated threat-protection appliance at a central location by leveraging its access control, application inspection, and worm, virus, and other malware mitigation technologies. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall can also be deployed as a dedicated remote access device utilizing its Virtual Private Network capabilities. As an Alternative, the Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewall operates equally well in the network interior for inter-office connectivity control and to defend against worms, viruses, and other malicious code inside users might unwittingly introduce into the network. For small company and satellite office networks, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewall acts as a total solution device providing comprehensive intrusion defense and VPN services while suiting the budgets and performance demands of such situations. This versatile one-platform, many-solution design lowers the amount of devices that need to be deployed and maintained while providing a common operating and management system throughout all installations. This architecture streamlines the training of configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and protection staff. To further reduce maintenance expenses, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewalls are also highly network conscious, allowing them to insert gracefully into the environment without disrupting authorized data flow and processes.

How Progent's Cisco Certified Experts Can Help You with Cisco Firewalls
Cisco PIX security appliances and Cisco ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances provide a wealth of configuration, monitoring, and analysis options that give you the flexibility to deploy these firewalls to align optimally with your business requirements. Progent's CISSP authorized network security experts can help you to develop a security policy appropriate for your business and can configure your security appliance to support your protection policy. Progent's CISA-qualified information security audit consultants and GIAC-qualified system security experts can assess the strength of your existing firewall solution and help determine the security of your whole information system network. Progent can also analyze your PIX or ASA firewall both remotely or onsite, and can educate your in-house network maintenance personnel to configure and maintain your firewalls.

To learn additional details concerning Progent's consulting support for Cisco technology, select a subject: