Security

Security against every IT threat

 

New threats need new answers. But how can you avoid threats you have no idea about that comes from people you do not know.

The answer is FIREWALL.

 

A firewall is a network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of security rules.Firewalls have been a first line of defense in network security for over 25 years. They establish a barrier between secured and controlled internal networks that can be trusted and untrusted outside networks, such as the Internet. A firewall can be hardware, software, or both.

 

Firewall makes the access decisions and decides whether to provide access to the users or not. The firewall does research over the user like its IP, keywords and other access parameters. When the firewall allows it, the traffic gets access to the data and network. So firewall protects the network and data from the wrong kind of access or softwares.

 

So What does a firewall really do?                           

                       

A firewall is a program or device that acts as a barrier to keep destructive elements out of a network or specific computer. Firewalls are configured (in hardware, software, or both) with specific criteria to block or prevent unauthorized access to a network. They work as filters for your network traffic by blocking incoming packets of information that are seen as unsafe. In large corporations, if a firewall is not in place, thousands of computers could be vulnerable to malicious attacks. Firewalls should be placed at every connection to the internet and are also used to control outgoing web traffic as well in large organizations.

 

Firewalls use several strategies to control traffic flowing in and out of networks. Packet filtering is when small chunks of data (called packets) are run through a filter and analyzed. Stateful inspection is where the contents of each packet are not examined, but instead key parts of the packet are compared to a database of trusted information, letting through the packets that pass this test. Firewalls can be configured to filter by several variables: IP address, domain name, protocol, port or even specific words or phrases. Though some operating systems come with a built-in firewall, internet routers also provide very affordable firewall protection when configured properly.              

                                 

Not many people will make a network without putting a firewall protection on it.so what actually is a firewall. Firewalls are one of the oldest piece of networking security gear that we have. In the initial days,when networking and web traffic was not what it today is, firewall was not so good. But new generation firewall is designed for new businesses that wants to keep the bad guys and hackers away from their network. As the technology has evolved, so has the firewall.



Firewall protects you from the internet or people you don’t want to allow to access some informations. Like if you have 50 computers in your office, firewalls  can also provide these computers each with its own IP address. It takes care of everything.For a small house or one person computer, the router is installed with a firewall that connects you to the WAN but for large organizations enterprise level solutions is needed. Thats where cisco firewall series comes in.



The cisco next generation firewall is designed for modern businesses for whom security breaches are not an option.

So what do you get from ASA series with a firepower:

  • Clustering and high availability

  • Application visibility control

  • URL filtering

  • Firesight analytics and automation

  • Advanced malware protection

  • Identity policy control and VPN

  • Network firewall routing and switching

  • Intrusion prevention

  • Built in network providing



You can get all these benefits for your network and business by using next gen firewall.If you are picking a security solution, make sure it is optmized for your business and cost.Security has become such a broad terms and with hackers being smart, you need to be smarter.

 

Cisco new generation firewall with firepower is industry’s first adaptive, threat-focused next-generation firewall designed for a new era of threat and advanced malware protection. It delivers integrated threat defense before, during, and after an attack by combining the proven security capabilities of the Cisco ASA firewall with the industry-leading Sourcefire threat and Advanced Malware Protection features together in a single device. Whether you need protection for a small or midsized business, a distributed enterprise, or a single data center, Cisco ASA with FirePOWER Services provides the needed scale and context in a NGFW solution.

Superior Multilayered Protection

It provides comprehensive protection from known and advanced threats, including protection against targeted and persistent malware attacks.Cisco ASA is the world’s most widely deployed, enterprise-class stateful firewall.



Unprecedented Network Visibility

Cisco’s enterprise-class management tools help administrators reduce complexity with unmatched visibility and control across NGFW deployments. Such visibility includes users, devices, communication between virtual machines, vulnerabilities, threats, client-side applications, files, and web sites.It control all of these.



Reduced Costs and Complexity

It incorporates an integrated approach to threat defense, reducing capital and operating costs and administrative complexity. It smoothly integrates with the existing IT environment, work stream, and network fabric.Cisco protection continually monitors how the network is changing over time. New threats are automatically assessed to determine which ones can affect your business.

 



Cisco firewall has following capabilities:



  • Site-to-site and remote access VPN and advanced clustering provide highly secure, high-performance access and high availability to help ensure business continuity

  • more than 4,000 application-layer and risk-based controls that can launch tailored intrusion prevention system

  • provides highly effective threat prevention and full contextual awareness of users, infrastructure, applications, and content to detect multi vector threats and automate defense response.

  • World class URL filtering service for control over suspicious web traffic and enforce policies on hundreds of millions of URLs in more than 80 categories.

 

The Cisco ASA 5500 Series provides superior scalability, a broad span of technology and solutions, and effective, market-leading security services for SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses), enterprises, service providers, and mission-critical data centers.



Product Overview

How do you deliver enterprise-class security for small offices while meeting their network, budgetary, and performance requirements?

With Cisco ASA CX 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls (ASA CX).

They combine proven stateful inspection firewall features with the ASA CX Context-Aware suite of next-generation firewall services for networks of all sizes: small and midsize businesses with one or more locations, large enterprises, service providers, and mission-critical data centers. The Cisco ASA CX firewalls deliver:



  • Scalable performance

  • Industry-leading service flexibility

  • Modular scalability

  • Feature extensibility

  • Low deployment and operational cost

 

Features and Benefits

Available in a wide range of sizes, Cisco ASA CX models provide the same level of security that protects the networks of some of the largest and most security-conscious companies in the world. They also provide Cisco ASA CX series next-generation firewall services, which include Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC), web security, botnet filtering, and intrusion prevention, so you can add these security features to new applications and devices in your network.

Cisco ASA CX 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls for small offices and branch locations protect critical assets in several ways:

 

  • Exceptional next-generation firewall services provide the visibility and detailed control that your enterprise needs to safely take advantage of new applications and devices.

  • Cisco AVC controls specific behaviors within allowed micro applications.

  • Cisco Web Security Essentials (WSE) restricts web and web application use based on the reputation of a site.

  • Broad and deep network security through an array of integrated cloud- and software-based next-generation firewall services is backed by Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO).

  • A highly effective intrusion prevention system (IPS) is provided with Cisco Global Correla

 

Service and Support

Cisco services help you protect your network investment, optimize network operations, and prepare your network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your business. Included in the “Operate” phase of the service lifecycle are the Cisco Security IntelliShield,Alert Manager Service,Cisco SMARTnet Service, Cisco Service Provider Base, and Cisco Services for IPS. These services are suitable for enterprise, commercial, and service provider customers.

The Cisco Security IntelliShield Alert Manager Service provides a customizable, web-based threat and vulnerability alert service that enables organizations to easily access timely, accurate, and credible information about potential vulnerabilities in their environment.