SAN JOSE, Calif., January 29, 2001 - Cisco Systems Inc., the leader in securing the Internet economy, today announced extensions to its Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) and CiscoWorks2000 User Registration Tool (URT), providing customers with new user-based secure network access support for today's multiservice networks.
Cisco Secure ACS and the CiscoWorks 2000 URT are integral security elements of Cisco AVVID - the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data. These key solutions can be easily implemented as part of Cisco SAFE, a flexible security blueprint for Cisco AVVID that helps organizations safely engage in e-Business today.
"Today's networks require unified authorization and administration, whether the user is accessing the network via wireless LAN, VPN, dial-up, or switched LAN environments," said John McCormack, Director at Cisco Systems. "Together Cisco Secure ACS and CiscoWorks2000 URT provide user-based access control enabling our customers to deploy centralized policy-based networking solutions that integrate with directory vendors, such as Microsoft, Novell, and Netscape."
Enhancements to Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS)
With centralized user-based network access control, Cisco Secure ACS supports the growing user population that access the network from a variety of devices and services, such as VPNs, remote access, broadband, wireless, and voice, for improved scalability and performance.
Through new enhancements to support Cisco's Aironet family of wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions, customers can utilize the same high performance RADIUS platform to manage and control wireless users accessing the network. This security framework delivers scalable, centralized user security management and supports industry leading dynamic session-based encryption keys integrated with network logon.
New Virtual Private Network (VPN) functionality includes support for the Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator and Cisco VPN 5000 series solutions, as well as new Windows 2000 platform support, and support for MPPE for VPN PPTP clients.
Enhancements to CiscoWorks2000 User Registration Tool (URT)
The CiscoWorks2000 URT provides customers with enhanced LAN access authentication and segmentation by user. URT does this through user-to-virtual LAN (VLAN) policy assignment to end-user switch ports based on user authentication to existing Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Novell NDS servers. VLAN policies are applied via VLAN Policy Servers (VPSs) distributed throughout the network for greater redundancy and availability. Now appliance-based, VPSs allow for easier deployment and installation by simply assigning it an IP address. A VPS appliance can support 3500 to 5000 users depending on the frequency of logins.
URT now also includes centralized installation of its client module from the URT administrative client for added ease and a reduction in total cost of ownership. Running on each Windows end-user workstation, the URT client module supports automatic VLAN switching and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) lease renewal during the login process.
The URT administrative client graphical interface enables simplified management of VLAN policies related to users or groups of users. Network information can be entered manually or imported from the CiscoWorks2000 LAN Management Solution or RWAN Management Solution. URT can also import user information from Windows NT, Windows 2000 or NDS servers for increased flexibility and to preserve a single directory of users in the enterprise.
"Simultaneous support of increasing network user mobility and unauthorized network access protection are organizational challenges both in the LAN and WAN," said David Packham, manager of network engineering at the University of Utah. "However, with such tools as the CiscoWorks2000 URT, our LAN environment's security is ensured by requiring user authentication to access the network. Network access configuration by user group, organizational unit, user, or MAC address provides added scalability which is crucial for our growing network requirements."
Pricing and Availability
Cisco Secure ACS is available now for $5995 USD. The CiscoWorks2000 User Registration Tool 2.0 is available now with a starter pack including the URT software and two VPS appliances for $25,000 USD. One URT 2.0 VPS appliance is $7500 USD.
