Cisco takes major step towards self-defending network

Rethink IT, August, 2004

Cisco takes major step towards self-defending network Cisco will start to roll out next month promised new features in its routers that it promises will be a major step towards the 'self-defending network', plus a roadmap towards industry security standards.

Key among the announcements is the first fruits of a collaboration between Cisco and various antivirus specialists--Network Associates, Trend Micro and Symantec--announced earlier this year. This has resulted in the Network Admission Control (NAC) architecture, which allows Cisco's networking products to communicate with these antivirus products. Devices running NAC technology--in the form of Cisco Trusted Agents--will allow network access only to compliant and trusted PCs or mobile devices. NAC can also restrict access of non-compliant equipment, for instance if a device does not have up-to-date virus protection or patches. This technology will be embedded, initially, in Cisco's edge routers, for linking corporate networks to the internet; and will then be extended to the Catalyst 2900 to 6500 switch families, protecting inbuilding networks, and in the VPN 3000 product for remote access.

Extending security to these network elements helps Cisco fulfill its vision of protecting the entire network by including as much security technology as possible throughout the network, so that the network itself can detect and defend against malicious attacks.

Eventually, all Cisco routers and switches will be able to check devices connecting to them for problems and Cisco plans to open the program to other antivirus vendors.

Part of Cisco's Phase II plan for NAC will include proposing its authentication technology as a standard to the IETF (Internet Engineering Taskforce) this August.