Yee added that VMS addresses the migration of network security from simply placing safeguards at the WAN edge to being more pervasive throughout the network. "You also need to worry about implementing security at the cat 6 cage if you've got switches, your SAN, wireless remote access, VPNs -- all of these issues must be considered," he said. "You have to provide security at these additional points." VMS 2.1 provides an integrated set of management tools to make it easier for admins to configure and update many security devices across the entire network. Yee said VMS 2.1 improves management of Cisco security devices through a three-prong approach:
- Securing the command line interface into devices
- Automation of embedded device management programs via a Web interface.
- Integration of management features
VMS 2.1 introduces Management Centers for configuring security policies on PIX firewalls, IDS sensors, and VPNs. Through these Management Centers, admins can create standard sets of security policies to deploy to all such devices on the network. Management Centers work with the Auto Update Server to push updates to devices. Security monitoring
Version 2.1 also adds security-monitoring capabilities. Through an integrated console, admins can view information about network and host-based events. Admins can also use the console to view syslogs from PIX firewalls and routers and to monitor VPNs. Yee said the security-monitoring module provides correlation across devices to better detect possible attacks. Centralised management
The most important feature of VMS 2.1 is that it provides a central console for managing all Cisco security devices and policies and for performing security monitoring. The management console also allows admins to configure policies for individual devices or groups and to deploy them easily throughout the network. Security just got easier
Cisco's VMS 2.1 introduces some new features that promise to give admins a powerful set of tools for configuring and maintaining Cisco security devices. With its central management and automation features, VMS 2.1 streamlines and simplifies security monitoring, configuration, and administration.
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