Cisco Raises Self-Defending Network's Power to a New Level

New Releases Boost Integrated, Collaborative and Adaptive Security Across Networks For More Efficient - and Intelligent - Protection

Cisco today announced significant new capabilities for enhanced collaboration among several products and services in its security portfolio, simplifying the ability for organizations to control and contain information security threats in a more coordinated, flexible fashion across networks while streamlining management and protecting confidential communications to remote users.

The collective enhancements involve Cisco's Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), Cisco Security Agent (CSA), Cisco Security Mitigation Analysis and Response System (CS-MARS), Cisco Security Manager (CSM) and Cisco's Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network (SSL VPN). Together, the enhancements mark the latest evolution of Cisco's Self-Defending Network - a comprehensive framework incorporating various endpoint and network security products into an integrated, collaborative and adaptive security solution for organizations of all sizes.

According to Mick Scully, vice president of product management for Cisco's security business, the increasing danger of information security threats - both from their profit motive and impact to productivity - make collaborative threat control and protection of confidential communications more than just an IT requirement. It's a mission-critical business requirement.

"As organizations become more distributed, traditional approaches to network security must give way to more progressive requirements," Scully said. "Organizations can't rely on standalone or one-dimensional security products anymore. They need to unify individual security components - from network and endpoint devices to centralized analysis and management tools - into an integrated security system. That system should constantly coordinate protection wherever threats extend. Collaborative security allows organizations to extend network availability, share information and improve operational efficiency with greater peace of mind" - Cisco.