What is the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA)?
An adaptive security appliance is crucial for businesses that value their technological capabilities. This is why Cisco has invested time and money into crafting their ASA. But don’t assume that this is just another fancy name for a firewall. Cisco ASA can do so much more.
What is the Cisco ASA?
Cisco ASA is the creme de la creme in security, combining the capabilities of a firewall alongside antivirus protection, intrusion prevention and everything that a virtual private network has to offer. The ASA aims to stop a threat in its tracks before it has a chance to spread through a network. Forget the days of opening a dodgy email attachment only for the ransomware to appear on all devices across a business in seconds. Cisco ASA puts a stop to this by proactively seeking out threats and terminating them. It is a valuable security tool for small, medium, and large networks protecting all data and business assets.
Firewall and network security platform
Cisco ASA isn’t merely a glorified firewall - although it does build upon the generic protection of a firewall.
The latest Cisco ASA 5500 series replaces the Cisco PIX 500 firewall and adds to its capabilities, providing more sophisticated proactive security measures. It is a vast array of security devices that aims to protect all sorts of data centers and networks from the smallest to the very largest and most complex.
With over one million ASAs distributed across the globe, Cisco is well respected in the cybersecurity sphere. With a stunning network security platform and firewall, end-users are able to access sensitive data, documents, and information swiftly, securely, and efficiently from any device, at any time, and anywhere.
Cisco ASA features and capabilities
ASA software can connect across a suite of further security software to enhance security even further. Cisco ASA software has a range of features and capabilities.
- Integrated VPS, VPN, antivirus, antispam and content inspection capabilities.
- With multi-node and automated clustering, productivity and performance can be enhanced.
- With mutli-node clustering, high availability is delivered with ease.
- All devices can be connected via a secure and efficient network, including those that utilize subnetting.
- The security isn’t limited to your devices, ensuring that IP addresses and data centers are subject to the same security scrutiny.
- Site-to-site VPN is facilitated.
Cisco Models
Cisco ASA 5510 - A model perfect for small to medium-sized enterprises that consider remote working, this is a cost-effective security solution. All security services can be controlled via an online management platform. The Cisco 5510 has the high-performance firewall and network security solutions that you would expect. A security services module allows full control over intrusion prevention capabilities and has stalwart antivirus prevention inbuilt. Futureproofing a business is crucial so the Cisco ASA 5510 allows a company to scale up functionality as needed.
Cisco ASA 5525-X - Using the Cisco SecureX framework, this model is perfect for the midsize company that has a more complex network to secure. SecureX technology is the latest in the range of security solutions that Cisco has to offer. Your business will enjoy AMP for endpoints, email security, stealth watch, SecureX threat response, identity services engine, and a sophisticated threat-aware firewall.
Utilizing VPN, antivirus, and network protection capabilities, this model has a secure online management platform. It is renowned for its superior performance and ability to manage the intricacies of subnetted networks and larger numbers of end-users.
Cisco ASA Resources
If you head to YouTube, there are many Cisco training videos that are free to watch. These highly visual tutorials are perfect to gain a more hands-on understanding of how the Cisco ASA can really improve and enhance the security of networks globally.
Cisco.com also has an array of FAQs and data sheets free to download and view to help you select the model of ASA that is most suited to your network and business model.
Cisco is a name that you can trust, having over fifteen years of network security platform and firewall experience. Every startup, conglomerate, and venture in the twenty first century needs to consider its cybersecurity as a paramount business function. Modern data centers require a more capable cyber-secure approach from Cisco. Your workforce needs to be protected anywhere and at anytime. With the world morphing to a new way of working, your security measures need to keep up.
Remote working, working from home, and flexible working patterns mean insecurities within networks can become more apparent, resulting in the need for hardier security options. This is why Cisco has provided businesses across the globe access to an automated, robust, and exceptional adaptive security appliance.
