Cisco unveils new approach to network security

Stuart Corner
Friday, 07 December 2007 05:27

Business IT - Technology

Cisco has announced Cisco Trusted Security (TrustSec), hailing it as a new architecture that integrates identity and role-based security measures for scaled implementation across enterprise networks. However, other vendors, notably Juniper, claim to already have what appear to be similar technologies already deployed with customers. Juniper ANZ's director emerging technologies told iTWire last week that the company was close to announcing four local deployments of its Universal Access Control technology.

Cisco claims that, when implemented enterprise-wide, TrustSec "addresses the increasing compliance requirements for a global and mobile workforce, ultimately enabling a more agile and secure infrastructure." Cisco also announced industry relationships with Intel and Ixia to increase interoperability with its new architecture.

According to Cisco, "TrustSec creates a trusted enterprise network encompassing Cisco switches along with Cisco routers and Cisco Unified Wireless Network controllers as a foundation for authenticating users, assigning roles, enforcing access policies and delivering integrity and confidentiality to network traffic

It includes:
- Role-Aware Secure Campus Access Control: Anytime, anywhere access to the network is determined by an individual's role in the company. "This 'role aware" network helps enforce identity-based security policies pervasively across the network regardless of the network access method or device (wired, wireless, mobile, laptop, printer)."

- Converged Policy Framework: Various authentication mechanics are converged into a single central policy engine that dynamically communicates across the entire switch infrastructure. This framework addresses the information technology (IT) challenge of managing policies consistently across the network by greatly simplifying the management of identity policies over disparate authentication methods.

- Pervasive Integrity and Confidentiality: Helps maintain the integrity and confidentiality of data as it moves through all points in the network. This safeguards against data leakage, supports regulatory requirements and increases the privacy of the network itself.

Cisco says it is committed to working with industry leaders for greater interoperability with other devices in the network. Cisco and Intel have announced a shared commitment to support the IEEE 802.1AE standard that helps the network intelligently prioritise data in alignment with business objectives while preserving the integrity of the encrypted data, and Ixia, a global provider of Internet Protocol performance test systems, will support IEEE 802.1AE encrypted line cards in their Ixia test equipment so that customers will be able test with Cisco TrustSec capable switches.

Cisco TrustSec functionality is scheduled to be available across the Cisco switching platforms throughout the next 18 months beginning in the first quarter of 2008.