Cisco Security Appliance Software Version 6.3: Data Sheet
Cisco Security Appliance Software Version 6.3: Data Sheet
Using the standards-based site-to-site VPN capabilities provided by Cisco PIX Security Appliances, businesses can
securely extend their networks across low-cost Internet connections to business partners and remote and satellite
offices worldwide. Built upon the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and IP security (IPsec) VPN standards, Cisco PIX
Security Appliances encrypt data using 56-bit Data Encryption Standard (DES), 168-bit Triple DES (3DES), or up to
256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption. Cisco PIX Security Appliances can also participate in
X.509-based Public Key Infrastructures (PKIs), and provide easy, automated certificate enrollment using the Simple
Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP)—another Internet standard Cisco Systems helped pioneer. Certain Cisco PIX
Security Appliance models also support hardware VPN acceleration, delivering up to 440 megabits per second
(Mbps) of 256-bit AES encrypted throughput, as well as support for up to 2000 IKE security associations.
The innovative Easy VPN capabilities found in Cisco PIX Security Appliances and other Cisco solutions—such as
Cisco IOS® routers and Cisco VPN 3000 Series Concentrators—deliver a uniquely scalable, cost-effective, and
easy-to-manage remote-access VPN architecture. Built upon the foundation of dynamic policy distribution and
effortless provisioning, Easy VPN eliminates the operational costs associated with maintaining remote-device
configurations typically required by traditional VPN solutions. Easy VPN enables Cisco customers to enjoy the
numerous benefits that VPNs provide—increased employee productivity by taking advantage of high-speed
broadband connectivity, and significantly reduced operational costs by eliminating expenses associated with legacy
dialup architectures—without the problems commonly found with other remote-access VPN solutions.
Using the Cisco PIX Security Appliance robust, remote-access VPN concentrator services, enterprises can securely
extend their networks to traveling employees, teleworkers, and remote offices for anytime, anywhere access to vital
corporate resources. Acting as Cisco Easy VPN Servers, Cisco PIX Security Appliances support the wide range of
software- and hardware-based Cisco Easy VPN Remote products. Cisco PIX Security Appliances enforce the latest
VPN security policies by dynamically pushing these policies to Easy VPN Remote users as they connect.
Certain models of Cisco PIX Security Appliances can also act as “hardware VPN clients” using innovative, embedded
Easy VPN Remote features, transparently providing secure access to a corporate network for all devices in a remote
network protected by a Cisco PIX Security Appliance. This dramatically simplifies the initial deployment and
ongoing management of VPNs deployed to remote offices and teleworker environments by eliminating the need to
The integrated in-line intrusion-protection capabilities in Cisco PIX Security Appliances protect today’s networks
from many popular forms of attacks, including Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks and malformed packet attacks. Using
a wealth of advanced intrusion-protection features, including DNSGuard, FloodGuard, FragGuard, MailGuard,
IPVerify and TCP intercept, in addition to looking for more than 55 different attack “signatures,” Cisco PIX Security
Appliances keep a vigilant watch for attacks, can optionally block them, and can notify administrators about them
in real time. Additionally, Cisco PIX Security Appliances support virtual packet reassembly, searching for attacks that
are hidden over a series of fragmented packets. Strong integration with Cisco Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
sensors enables Cisco PIX Security Appliances to automatically shun (block) network nodes identified as being
hostile by Cisco IDS sensors.
Cisco PIX Security Appliance select models provide award-winning stateful failover capabilities that ensure resilient
network protection for enterprise network environments. Employing a cost-effective, active-standby,
high-availability architecture, Cisco PIX Security Appliances that are configured as a failover pair continuously
synchronize their connection state and device configuration data. Synchronization can take place over a high-speed
LAN connection, providing another layer of protection through the ability to geographically separate the failover
pair. In the event of a system or network failure, network sessions are automatically transitioned between firewalls,
with complete transparency to users.
Cisco PIX Security Appliances deliver a wealth of remote-management methods for configuration, monitoring, and
troubleshooting. Management solutions range from centralized, policy-based management tools to integrated,
Web-based management to support for remote-monitoring protocols such as Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP) and syslog. Cisco PIX Security Appliances additionally provide up to 16 levels of customizable
administrative roles so that enterprises can grant administrators and operations personnel the appropriate level of
access to each firewall (for example, monitoring only, read-only access to the configuration, VPN configuration only,
firewall configuration only, and so on). Cisco PIX Security Appliances also include robust Auto Update capabilities,
a set of revolutionary secure remote-management services that ensure firewall configurations and software images
are kept up to date.
Administrators can easily manage large numbers of remote Cisco PIX Security Appliances using CiscoWorks VPN/
Security Management Solution (VMS). This suite consists of numerous modules including Management Center for
Firewalls, Auto Update Server Software, and Security Monitor. This powerful combination provides a highly
scalable, next-generation, three-tier management solution that includes the following features:
• Comprehensive configuration and software image management
• Device hierarchy with “Smart Rules”-based configuration inheritance
Additional integrated event management and inventory solutions are also available as part of the CiscoWorks VMS
network management suite.
The integrated Cisco PIX Device Manager provides an intuitive, Web-based management interface for remotely
configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting a single Cisco PIX Security Appliance—without requiring any software
(other than a standard Web browser) to be installed on an administrator’s computer. Alternatively, through methods
including Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH), or out of band through a console port, administrators can remotely
configure, monitor, and troubleshoot Cisco PIX Security Appliances using a command-line interface (CLI).
New Features Found in Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software Version 6.3
Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software Version 6.3 provides a wealth of new features, including those detailed below.
A complete list of features is available in the Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software Version 6.3 Release Notes.
Enterprise-Class Security
Virtual LAN • Provides increased flexibility when defining security policies and eases overall
(VLAN)-based integration into switched network environments by supporting the creation of logical
virtual interfaces interfaces based on IEEE 802.1q VLAN tags, and the creation of security policies based
on these virtual interfaces
• Supports multiple virtual interfaces on a single physical interface through
VLAN trunking
• Supports multiple VLAN trunks per Cisco PIX Security Appliance
• Supports up to 8 VLANs on Cisco PIX 515 and 515E Security Appliances, 10 VLANs on
Cisco PIX 520 and 525 Security Appliances, and 24 VLANs on Cisco PIX 535
Security Appliances
Open Shortest Path • Provides comprehensive OSPF dynamic routing services on Cisco PIX Security
First (OSPF) Appliances using technology based on world-renowned Cisco IOS Software
dynamic routing • Offers improved network reliability through fast route convergence and secure, efficient
route distribution
• Delivers a secure routing solution in environments using Network Address Translation
(NAT) through tight integration with Cisco PIX Security Appliance NAT services
• Supports MD5-based OSPF authentication, in addition to plaintext OSPF authentication,
to prevent route spoofing and various routing-based DoS attacks
• Provides route redistribution between OSPF processes, including OSPF, static, and
connected routes
• Supports load balancing across equal-cost multipath routes
Secure Hypertext • Offers a secure, Web-based method for user authentication to the firewall prior to
Transfer Protocol allowing any of the user’s network traffic to traverse the firewall
(HTTPS) authentication
proxy
Local user • Enables administrators to define usernames and associated passwords locally on a
authentication database Cisco PIX Security Appliance, which can then be used to authenticate users prior to
allowing them network and VPN access
• Provides a cost-effective alternative for storage of user authentication information
HTTPS and FTP web • Extends integration with Websense-based employee web usage management solutions
request filtering via by adding support for filtering of users’ HTTPS and FTP web requests
enhanced Websense
integration
Advanced Encryption • Adds support for securing site-to-site and remote access VPN connections with new
Standard (AES) international encryption standard, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
• Provides software-based AES support on all supported Cisco PIX Security Appliance
models and hardware-accelerated AES via the new VAC+ card on select Cisco PIX
Security Appliance models
• Supports all standard AES key sizes: 128, 192, and 256
VPN Acceleration Card+ • Delivers up to 440 Mbps of hardware-accelerated 168-bit 3DES and 256-bit AES
(VAC+) encryption (on select Cisco PIX Security Appliance models) for highly scalable
site-to-site and remote access VPN services
• Provides hardware acceleration of 56-bit DES, 168-bit 3DES, and all standard AES key
sizes (128, 192, and 256)
• Supports up to 2000 concurrent IKE associations
VPN NAT transparency • Extends support for site-to-site and remote access IPsec-based VPNs to network
environments that implement NAT or Port Address Translation (PAT), such as airports,
hotels, wireless hot spots, and broadband environments
• Supports automatic discovery of NAT/PAT environments during VPN tunnel negotiation
and can dynamically encapsulate VPN traffic using an Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF)-based UDP wrapper mechanism for safe traversal through NAT/PAT boundaries
Custom IKE port • Enables IKE sessions to be accepted on administrator-specified UDP ports, providing
numbers additional flexibility for enterprise network environments
Integrated Dynamic • Extends integrated DHCP server to provide DHCP services on one or more
Host Configuration administrator-specified interfaces concurrently, each with a separate DHCP address pool
Protocol (DHCP)
server support on
multiple interfaces
Management
Syslog by access • Introduces powerful new reporting and troubleshooting capabilities that enable detailed
control list (ACL) entry statistics to be gathered on which ACL entries are triggered by network traffic
attempting to traverse a Cisco PIX Security Appliance
• Gives precise control over which ACL entry-related syslog events are generated
Assignable syslog • Provides administrators tremendous flexibility and control over which syslog messages
levels by message Cisco PIX Security Appliances generate
ACL editing • Provides capabilities for inserting and deleting individual ACL entries without deleting
and re-creating the entire ACL
DHCP relay • Forwards DHCP requests from internal devices to an administrator-specified DHCP
server, enabling centralized distribution, tracking and maintenance of IP addresses
Interface name as • Enables the creation of security policies based on interface name instead of IP address,
address in ACLs and which is especially useful in broadband environments where the outside interface is
conduits typically assigned a dynamic IP address
Custom administrative • Provides facility to define custom messages that will appear when anyone attempts to
access banner access the CLI interface, after successful login and when entering “exec mode” of Cisco
messages PIX Security Appliances via console port, telnet, or SSH
Console connection • Protects console from unauthorized administrative access by automatically logging out
inactivity timeout sessions after a configurable period of inactivity
Show command • Provides tools to customize the output of CLI-based show commands, such as filtering
output filter using Cisco IOS Software style regular expressions
Custom logging • Allows a custom firewall identifier to be selected, such as an interface IP address,
identifier that will be included in all syslog messages to improve the centralized reporting of
firewall events
Remote management • Supports secure remote management of Cisco PIX Security Appliances through a
enhancements VPN tunnel to their inside interface IP address; especially useful in broadband
network environments where firewalls outside interface addresses are typically
assigned dynamically
Easy VPN Remote • Introduces ability to authenticate individual users behind a Cisco PIX Security Appliance
(hardware VPN client) through an easy-to-use, Web-based interface with support for standard and one-time
enhancements passwords (including authentication tokens)
• Allows certain network devices, such as printers and IP phones, to pass through a VPN
tunnel using authentication based on the devices’ Media Access Control (MAC)
addresses and/or their IP addresses
• Provides robust client-side VPN resiliency with support for dynamic downloading of
backup Easy VPN Server information and automatic failover, in the event of a VPN
link failure
• Supports VPN 3000 Series Concentrator load balancing with automatic redirection to
the least utilized concentrator
• Provides new, easy-to-use Web interface for manual VPN tunnel control, user
authentication, and tunnel status information
• Introduces method to specify the networks and individual IP addresses that can manage
a Cisco PIX Security Appliance securely via its outside interface, regardless if the VPN
tunnel is up or down
PAT for Point-to-Point • Enhances the rich PAT functionality in Cisco PIX Security Appliances to enable multiple
Tunneling Protocol PPTP sessions to traverse firewall
(PPTP)
PAT for IPsec • Supports IPsec passthrough services, enabling a single device behind the Cisco PIX
Security Appliance to establish a VPN tunnel through the firewall to a VPN peer
Increased firewall • Unleashes new performance levels on new and existing Cisco PIX 501 and 506E
performance on PIX 501 Security Appliances, delivering up to 6 times more performance than previous software
and 506E Security releases
Appliances
Increased number of • Increases number of site-to-site and remote access VPN peers supported on Cisco PIX
IPsec VPN peers 501 Security Appliances from 5 to 10, enabling greater VPN scalability in home office
supported on Cisco PIX and small office environments
501 Security Appliances
H.323 Version 3 and 4 • Extends Cisco PIX Security Appliance market-leading VoIP security by adding support
for the latest versions of the H.323 standard, which is used by numerous applications
and millions of users worldwide
• Adds support for many new H.323 features, including the ability to handle multiple calls
that use the same call signaling channel
TAPI and JTAPI • Supports inspection of various Cisco TAPI and JTAPI based applications that use
over CTIQBE CTIQBE, including Cisco IP SoftPhone and Cisco Customer Response Solution (CRS)
MGCP • Inspects MGCP messages passing between call agents, media gateways, and other
components in production VoIP environments
PAT for SCCP • Extends market-leading VoIP support and enables SCCP (the call-signaling protocol
used by Cisco IP phones) to work in PAT environments; typically found in home offices
and remote offices
Cisco PIX Security Appliances support a wide variety of software- and hardware-based VPN clients, which include
the following:
Software IPsec VPN clients Cisco Secure VPN Client, Version 1.1
Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator Client, Version 2.5 and later
Cisco VPN Client for Windows, Version 3.0 and later
Cisco VPN Client for Linux, Version 3.5 and later
Cisco VPN Client for Solaris, Version 3.5 and later
Cisco VPN Client for Mac OS X, Version 3.5 and later
Hardware IPsec VPN clients Cisco VPN 3002 Hardware Client, Version 3.0 and higher
Cisco IOS Software Easy VPN Remote, Release 12.2(8)YJ
Cisco PIX Security Appliance, Version 6.2 and higher
Cisco PIX Security Appliances can now act as hardware-based VPN clients, taking advantage of the new Cisco Easy
VPN Remote capabilities in Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software. The following Cisco Easy VPN Server platforms
are supported for this deployment scenario:
In addition to providing interoperability for many third-party VPN products, Cisco PIX Security Appliances
interoperate with the following Cisco VPN products for site-to-site VPN connectivity:
Cisco PIX Security Appliances support numerous cryptographic standards and related third-party products and
services, including the following:
Asymmetric (public key) encryption algorithms RSA (Rivest, Shamir, Adelman) public/private key pairs,
512 bits to 2048 bits
System Requirements
Minimum RAM 32 megabytes (MB), except the Cisco PIX 501 Security Appliance, which
requires 16 MB
Minimum Flash memory 16 MB, except the Cisco PIX 501, 506, and 506E Security Appliance models,
which require 8 MB
PIX-SW-UPGRADE= Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software one-time upgrade for customers without a current Cisco
SMARTnet™ support contract
Support Services
Support services are available from Cisco and Cisco partners. Cisco SMARTnet service augments customer support resources, and provides
anywhere, anytime access to technical resources (both online and by telephone), the ability to download updated system software, and
hardware advance replacement.
Additional Information
http://www.cisco.com/go/pix
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/fw/sqfw500/prodlit/pixdm_ds.pdf
Cisco Secure ACS:
http://www.cisco.com/go/acs
CiscoWorks VMS, Management Center for Firewalls, Auto Update Server Software, and Security Monitor:
http://www.cisco.com/go/vms
http://www.cisco.com/go/safe
To download the latest Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software and Cisco PIX Device Manager (with a valid Cisco.com login), visit:
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/pix
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