Cisco's PIX security appliances and ASA Series adaptive security appliances integrate comprehensive firewall, intrusion defense, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) functionality in an affordable, one-cabinet package. Both of these product families have been superseded by Cisco's ASA 5500-X series of firewalls with Firepower Services. (See integration and troubleshooting support for ASA 5500-X firewalls with Firepower Services.) Still, both PIX and previous-generation ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances are widely used and continue to provide small and mid-size organizations a viable security solution.

Cisco PIC and legacy ASA 5500 firewalls deliver robust user and program policy enforcement, mutlivector attack protection, and safe connectivity features. The enhanced knowledge sharing of integrated protection features in a stand-alone package offers users deploying these aggregated firewalls the benefits of advanced protection, reduced TCO, and minimal maintenance costs. PIX security appliances and Cisco's ASA 5500 family join IOS Firewall, the Firewall Services Module (FWSM) for Catalyst 6500 switches, and 7600 Series routers as components of Cisco's flexible, self-contained firewall line. Engineered with an expandable, building-block platform, every device is equipped with a particular array of options to provide more efficient security to a variety of network situations. These products can be individually deployed to secure certain areas of the connectivity infrastructure, or can be combined for a systematic, protection-in-depth approach following the architecture best practices described in the Cisco SAFE framework. Completing the modular firewall solutions, Cisco has developed a complete security management offering, spanning Cisco security device and Cisco IOS Software security components and built-in device managers, to standalone management programs, moving to ensure that customers can productively use their Cisco protection solution purchases. Cisco PIX Firewalls
PIX firewalls offer reliable policy enforcement, multivector attack defense, and secure networking services in cost-effective, simple-to-configure modules. These purpose-built appliances provide a broad range of integrated protection and connectivity capabilities including process-aware firewall services, Voice over IP and multimedia security, robust site-to-site and remote-access IP Security Virtual Private Network connectivity, fault tolerance, smart networking features, and versatile administration solutions. The Cisco PIX Security Appliance Series family ranges from compact plug-and-go desktop units for small and at home offices to stackable high-bandwidth products with investment protection for large business and ISP environments, Cisco PIX firewall appliances deliver high levels of security, speed, and availability for networks of any size.

Cisco PIX Firewalls Consulting
Built around a hardened, specialized software platform that offers a wealth of security features, PIX firewall appliances offer excellent protection and have been awarded Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 4 status and ICSA Labs Firewall and IP Security qualification. PIX security appliances offer security for a broad array of VoIP and additional multimedia standards including H.323 Version 4, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Cisco Skinny Client Control Protocol, RTSP, and MGCP, enabling organizations to protect deployments of a wide array of contemporary and next-generation Voice over IP and video applications. PIX firewalls feature a wealth of configuration, tracking, and analysis options, providing businesses the versatility to utilize the techniques that most closely meet their requirements. Management options include centralized, policy-based administration utilities, integrated web-based management, and compatibility with remote-tracking standards such as SNMP and syslog. The integrated Adaptive Security Device Manager interface provides a powerful web-accessible control platform that significantly streamlines the deployment, ongoing configuration, and tracking of a specific Cisco PIX security appliance without the need of any additional software other than an ordinary web browser and Java applet to be running on an administrator's computer.

Administrators can also remotely configure, track, and analyze PIX security appliances using a command-line interface (CLI). Secure CLI interface access is available through a number of techniques such as SSHv2 Protocol, Telnet through IPsec, and out-of-band via a console port. Cisco PIX firewalls also include dependable auto-update capabilities, a collection advanced secure remote-management services that make sure that security configurations and software images are always current. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series Firewalls
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) Firewalls are specially engineered solutions that bring together market-proven, best-of-breed security and Virtual Private Network support with an adaptive architecture. The end product is a robust, versatile network protection appliance better able to defend small and medium company and enterprise networks and, at the same time, lower the overall deployment and operations costs formerly associated with this high level of protection.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) Firewalls Consultants
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances Firewalls build on technology behind Cisco's PIX 500 Security Appliance, the Cisco IPS 4200 family Intrusion Prevention System, and Cisco's VPN 3000 family concentrator. These solutions enable the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series Firewall family to deliver a firewall that stops a broad range of attacks. Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewalls provide program protection, local containment and control, and clean Virtual Private Network connectivity throughout the entire product line. This broad scope of protection enables the guarding of any network segment, including the most typical attack vectors like remote sites, LAN-attached internal users, and remote connected Virtual Private Networks. Cisco ASA firewalls deliver a high-level of application security through intelligent, application-aware inspection engines that analyze traffic at Layers 4-7. This results in a more secure environment covering web, voice, and mobile wireless connectivity. To defend networks against application-layer attacks and to give businesses more control over the applications and protocols used in their environments, these inspection engines integrate extensive application and protocol knowledgebases and employ security enforcement technologies such as anomaly detection and application and protocol state monitoring. Also incorporated are attack detection and remediation techniques such as application/protocol command filters and URL deobfuscation. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall inspection engines also deliver control over IM and tunneling applications, allowing businesses to police usage policies and free up bandwidth for critical business applications. At the same time as improving security, Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewalls also lower installation and operational costs. By providing extensive VPN and protection services, the Cisco ASA firewall can be a the only platform for a multitude of uses, allowing platform standardization. The Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewall can be used as a consolidated attack-protection device at the datacenter by taking advantage of its connectivity control, process inspection, and worm, virus, and other malware remediation technologies. The Cisco ASA firewall can also be deployed as a specialized remote access solution utilizing its VPN features. As another option, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall performs equally well inside the network for inter-office connectivity control and to defend against malicious assaults inside workers might unwittingly introduce into the network. For small business and branch office networks, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series firewall acts as a total solution device providing complete threat defense and Virtual Private Network services while suiting the budgets and operational demands of such situations.

This adaptive single-platform, multiple-use approach reduces the total number of devices that need to be deployed and managed while offering a common operating and administrative environment across all those installations. This architecture simplifies the education of configuration, tracking, support, and protection personnel. To further minimize maintenance costs, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewalls are also exceptionally network conscious, enabling them to integrate gracefully into the environment without interfering with legitimate traffic and processes. How Progent's Cisco Certified Experts Can Help Your Business with Cisco PIX and ASA Security Appliances
Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewalls and PIX family security appliances provide an array of configuration, tracking, and troubleshooting options that offer you the ability to deploy these security appliances to match your business needs. Progent's CCIE certified network consultants can show you how to support your current network infrastructure that includes Cisco ASA or PIX security appliances and that offers security, fault tolerance, performance, and recoverability. Progent can also assist your organization to migrate to Cisco ASA 5500-X firewalls with Firepower Services.

Progent's CISA and CISSP-ISSP-premier information security consultants can assist you to create a security strategy appropriate for your environment and can set up your PIX or ASA firewall to enforce your security strategy. Progent's risk evaluation engineers can assess the effectiveness of your current firewall solution and help determine the overall security of your whole IS environment. Progent's Help Desk Call Center can provide emergency remote technical support for Cisco products and can give you quick access to a Cisco CCIE expert. To see more details about Progent's engineering help for Cisco solutions, pick a subject:

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