Cisco PIX security appliances and Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewalls combine comprehensive firewall, intrusion defense, and VPN functionality in a cost-effective, single-cabinet package. Both of these product families have been replaced by the ASA 5500-X family of security appliances with Firepower. (See configuration and troubleshooting expertise for ASA 5500-X firewalls with Firepower Services.) Still, both PIX and first-generation Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewalls are extensively deployed and continue to deliver small and mid-size companies a viable security environment.

PIX and the original ASA 5500 firewalls deliver robust user and application policy enforcement, mutlivector assault protection, and safe connectivity features. The increased knowledge sharing of consolidated protection services in a stand-alone platform provides customers deploying these integrated firewalls the benefits of advanced security, reduced TCO, and smaller maintenance costs. Cisco PIX firewalls and Cisco's ASA 5500 Series join Cisco IOS Firewall, the Firewall Services Module (FWSM) for Catalyst 6500 Series switches, and 7600 family routers as parts of Cisco's versatile, integrated firewall product. Engineered with a scalable, building-block platform, each device is equipped with a specific feature set to provide better protection to different networking environments. These products can be individually deployed to secure specific facets of the network environment, or can be combined for a layered, protection-in-depth approach following the design best practices described in the Cisco SAFE framework. Completing the integrated firewall solutions, Cisco provides a complete security management product portfolio, spanning Cisco security device and IOS security features and built-in appliance managers, to standalone management programs, moving to ensure that customers can productively use their Cisco security solution investments. PIX Security Appliance Series
Cisco PIX firewall appliances offer reliable user and application policy support, multivector invasion defense, and secure connectivity features in economical, easy-to-deploy solutions. These specialized appliances provide a wealth of integrated security and connectivity services including application-aware firewall features, VoIP and multimedia protection, reliable multi-location and remote-access IPcec VPN connectivity, excellent resiliency, smart networking services, and flexible management options. The Cisco PIX firewall Appliance product line ranges from small plug-and-go appliances for small offices or at home offices to stackable high-bandwidth products with investment protection for large business and ISP environments, PIX Security Appliance Series provide dependable protection, performance, and availability for networks of any size.

PIX Firewalls Experts
Based around a tested, purpose-built operating system that offers a wealth of protection services, PIX firewalls offer excellent protection and have been awarded EAL 4 status and ICSA Firewall and IP Security qualification. Cisco PIX firewall appliances offer security for a wide array of VoIP and other multimedia conventions including H.323 Version 4, SIP, SCCP, Real-Time Streaming Protocol, and MGCP, helping businesses to protect installations of a wide array of current and upcoming VoIP and video applications. Cisco PIX firewalls feature a variety of configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting features, providing businesses the versatility to utilize the methods that most closely meet their needs. Administrative solutions include centralized, policy-based administration utilities, integrated web-accessible administration, and compatibility with remote-tracking protocols such as Simple Network Management Protocol and syslog. The integrated Adaptive Security Device Manager interface offers a powerful web-accessible management platform that greatly streamlines the deployment, in-place modification, and tracking of a specific PIX firewall appliance without requiring any additional utility other than an ordinary browser and Java plug-in to be installed on a manager's PC.

IT managers can also remotely configure, track, and troubleshoot PIX firewalls via a CLI interface. Secure command-line interface communication is available through several techniques including SSHv2 Protocol, Telnet through IPsec, and out-of-band via a console port. Cisco PIX firewall appliances also include dependable auto-update features, a set of secure remote-administration options that make sure that security settings and software images are kept current. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) Firewalls
Cisco ASA Firewalls are specially engineered solutions that incorporate market-proven, industry-leading security and VPN services plus a flexible architecture. The end product is a powerful, versatile network protection appliance better able to defend small and midsize company and larger networks and, simultaneously, reduce the total deployment and maintenance costs previously associated with this enhanced level of security.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) Firewalls Consulting Firm
Cisco ASA Firewalls leverage technology behind Cisco's PIX 500 Series firewall, the Cisco IPS 4200 sensor, and the Cisco VPN 3000 Series concentrator. These technologies enable the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series Firewall family to deliver a platform that stops a broad range of threats. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series Firewalls provide application security, network containment and control, and clean Virtual Private Network connectivity across Cisco's product portfolio. This breadth of security enables defense of any network area, which includes the most typical threat vectors like remote sites, locally-connected inside users, and off-site connected VPNs. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewalls provide robust application security via smart, application-sensitive inspection processes that examine network flows at Layers 4-7. The result is a safer network including web, voice, and mobile wireless connectivity. To protect environments against application-layer assaults and to give businesses more control over the applications and protocols utilized in their networks, these inspection engines integrate extensive application and protocol knowledge and rely on security enforcement solutions such as anomaly detection and application and protocol state tracking. Also included are attack sensing and mitigation techniques such as application/protocol command filtering and URL deobfuscation. Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall inspection engines also deliver control over instant messaging and tunneling applications, allowing organizations to police usage policies and recover network bandwidth for vital business processes. While increasing network security, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewalls also lower installation and operational expenses. By offering broad Virtual Private Network and security services, the Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewall can be a single device for a multitude of environments, enabling platform commonality. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances firewall can be used as a consolidated attack-prevention appliance at the datacenter by leveraging its access control, application inspection, and malicious assault mitigation technologies. The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series firewall can also be used as a dedicated remote connectivity solution utilizing its Virtual Private Network features. As an alternative, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewall serves capably in the network interior for interdepartmental connectivity control and to guard against worms, viruses, and other malicious code inside users might inadvertently release into the environment. For small business and satellite office networks, the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances 5500 Series firewall acts as an all-in-one device providing comprehensive intrusion prevention and VPN services while fitting within the budgets and performance demands of such deployments.

This adaptive single-device, many-solution approach reduces the number of devices that must be installed and maintained while providing a standard functional and administrative system throughout all deployments. This architecture streamlines the training of setup, monitoring, support, and security personnel. To further minimize maintenance expenses, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) firewalls are also exceptionally network aware, allowing them to insert gracefully into the network without interfering with authorized data flow and processes. How Progent's Consultants Can Help You with Cisco PIX and ASA Firewalls
Cisco ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances and PIX family firewalls incorporate a wealth of configuration, tracking, and analysis options that give you the ability to deploy these security appliances to match your company's requirements. Progent's CCIE certified network professionals can help you to support your existing network infrastructure that incorporates Cisco ASA and/or PIX firewall technology and that provides protection, resilience, performance, and recoverability. Progent's firewall experts can also assist your organization to migrate to ASA 5500-X firewalls with Firepower Services.

Progent's CISA and CISM-premier IS security consultants can assist your business to create a security strategy appropriate for your environment and can configure your PIX or ASA firewall to enforce your security strategy. Progent's risk evaluation engineers can evaluate the effectiveness of your current firewall solution and validate the overall security of your whole IT network. Progent's Technical Response Center can deliver urgent remote troubleshooting for Cisco technology and offer quick access to a Cisco network engineer. To find out more information about Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco products, select a topic:

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