Cisco Firepower NGIPS Data Sheet

 

Integrated network threat appliances

Cisco Firepower NGIPS delivers deep visibility, preeminent security intelligence and superior advanced threat protection to secure today’s complex IT environments.

Product overview

Cisco Firepower Next-Generation IPS (NGIPS) threat appliances provide network visibility, security intelligence, automation and advanced threat protection. It uses industry-leading intrusion prevention capabilities and multiple techniques to detect even the most sophisticated network attacks and protect you against them. Cisco Firepower NGIPS threat appliances all offer the ability to operate in-line via Fail-To-Wire/Bypass network modules.

Cisco Firepower NGIPS continuously discovers information about your network environment, including data about operating systems, mobile devices, files, applications and users. It then uses this information to build network maps and host profiles. This gives you the contextual information you need to make better decisions about intrusion events. And this information is also used as input to better enable the automation of key threat protection features.

Cisco’s TALOS Security Intelligence and Research Group collects and correlates threats in real time using the largest threat detection network in the world. Their efforts result in vulnerability-focused IPS rules and embedded IP-, URL-, and DNS-based security intelligence for Firepower NGIPS.

Security automation correlates intrusion events with your network’s vulnerabilities so you can focus on the threats that matter most. It also analyzes your network’s weaknesses and recommends the appropriate security policies to put in place.

Cisco Firepower NGIPS threat appliances provide industry leading threat effectiveness against both known and unknown threats. Features include:

●     IPS rules that identify and block attack traffic that target vulnerabilities in your network

●     Tightly integrated defense against advanced malware incorporating advanced analysis of network and endpoint activity

●     Sandboxing technology that uses hundreds of behavioral indicators to identify zero-day and evasive attacks

Features and benefits

Prominent feature/differentiator/capability

Next-generation intrusion prevention capabilities

Cisco Firepower NGIPS sets a new standard for network threat protection. It integrates real-time contextual awareness, security automation, advanced malware protection, and superior threat intelligence with industry-leading network intrusion prevention. No other solution offers the visibility, simplicity, openness, and effectiveness required to protect today’s dynamic environments against increasingly sophisticated threats.

Cisco Firepower NGIPS stands apart from other intrusion prevention solutions by including the following features and capabilities:

Superior threat protection

●     Cisco Firepower NGIPS is built on the core open technology of Snort, the world’s most popular intrusion prevention software. It uses vulnerability and anomaly-based inspection methods to alert you to malicious hosts, network malware attacks, file movement, and zero-day threats.

●     The Cisco Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group analyzes 600 billion emails, more than 1 billion web queries, and nearly 1.5 million malware samples daily to identify the latest threats and vulnerabilities.

●     Independent NSS Labs breach detection system testing found that Firepower NGIPS was 99.7% effective in stopping threats and 100% effective in identifying evasion techniques that are used to hide attacks.

Real-time contextual awareness

●     Collected and analyzed data includes information about applications, users, devices, operating systems, vulnerabilities, mobile devices, client-side applications, services, processes, network behaviors, files, and threats.

●     Contextual data can also be used in your IPS rules to provide an extraordinarily high level of granular protection.

Intelligent security automation

●     Intrusion events are automatically correlated with your network’s vulnerabilities. You are alerted to attacks that might be successful and your analysts can focus on those threats that matter most.

●     Your network’s weaknesses are analyzed and automatically generate recommended security policies to put in place to address your vulnerabilities. This process helps analysts deal with ever changing networks and provides protection that is custom fitted to your environment.

●     Indications of Compromise (IoCs) provide another method of threat detection for unknown threats. Hosts that might be potentially compromised are identified by correlating specific events from multiple sources (IPS, security intelligence, network and endpoint malware protection, etc.). A prioritized dashboard and quick links to inspect activity help analysts investigate and remediate these compromised hosts.

●     Specific users are associated with their IPS events through captive portal technology and through integration with Active Directory and other LDAP technology. This capability facilitates better monitoring and analysis and speeds forensic investigations.

Protection against advanced threats

●     A fully integrated Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) solution addresses evasive and sophisticated file-related threats, and provides the ability to rapidly track, contain, analyze and remediate successful attacks.

●     Key features provide early detection into evasive and emerging malware threats, delivering an industry-leading 13-hour median time to detection (Source: Cisco Annual Security Report, January 2016).

●     File sandboxing (in the cloud or on premise), threat scoring, and malware behavior analysis to address unknown and zero-day attacks.

●     Organizations are immediately alerted to newly identified malicious content in their environment even after the initial analysis allowed the file or malware in.

Management, integration and deployment options

●     The Cisco Firepower Management Center provides a single point of event collection and policy management for all deployments of Cisco Firepower NGIPS, Cisco Firepower Threat Defense for ISR, and Cisco Firepower NGFW. You gain a comprehensive enterprise-wide view of security posture, consistent security at all points in your network, and less management complexity.

●     Integration with many Cisco network security products provides greater threat effectiveness with less complexity and lower cost. For example, Cisco Firepower NGIPS detections can drive automated remediation actions (quarantine, block, etc.) to take place in Cisco’s Identity Services Engine (ISE) for rapid threat containment.

●     Available as both physical and virtual NGIPS platforms, this provides a great means to segment portions of your network where other methods are impractical.

●     Cisco Firepower Threat Defense for ISR delivers Firepower NGIPS threat capabilities on Cisco Integrated Services Routers. The security concerns of branch offices and other remote locations are addressed without increasing the security infrastructure footprint.

Application control and URL filtering

●     Application Visibility and Control provides granular control of application usage and user access to more than 4000 commercial applications.

●     With OpenAppID, an open source application identification standard led by Cisco, you can define custom, localized, and cloud applications so that they can be controlled in the same manner as commercial applications.

●     URL filtering option improves both security and compliance. It provides access control to over 80 categories of websites and covers more than 200 million individual URLs. Preventing access to known risky or malicious sites reduces the risk of web-borne malware.

Platform support

Cisco Firepower NGIPS includes Application Visibility and Control (AVC) as part of the base product. Optional licenses are available for Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for Networks, and URL Filtering. The Cisco Firepower 2100 Series, 4100 Series and 9300 Series appliances use the Cisco Firepower Threat Defense software image.

The Cisco Firepower 2100 Series is a family of four threat-focused NGFW security platforms that deliver business resiliency through superior threat defense. It offers exceptional sustained performance when advanced threat functions are enabled. These platforms uniquely incorporate an innovative dual multicore CPU architecture that optimizes firewall, cryptographic, and threat inspection functions simultaneously. The series’ firewall throughput range addresses use cases from the Internet edge to the data center. Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS)- compliance is supported by the Cisco Firepower 2100 Series platform.

The Cisco Firepower 4100 Series is a family of four threat-focused NGIPS security platforms. Their maximum throughput ranges from 12 to 24 Gbps, addressing use cases from the Internet edge to the data center. They deliver superior threat defense, at faster speeds, with a smaller footprint.

The Cisco Firepower 9300 is a scalable, carrier-grade, modular platform designed for service providers, high-performance computing centers, data centers, campuses, high-frequency trading environments, and other environments that require low (less than 5-microsecond offload) latency and exceptional throughput. Cisco Firepower 9300 supports flow-offloading, programmatic orchestration, and the management of security services with RESTful APIs. It is also available in Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS)-compliant configurations.

Licensing

The Cisco Firepower NGIPS is sold with Cisco Smart Licensing. Cisco understands that purchasing, deploying, managing, and tracking software licenses can be extremely complex. As a result, we are introducing Cisco Smart Software Licensing, a standardized licensing platform that helps customers understand how Cisco software is used across their network, thereby reducing administrative overhead and saving operating expenses.

With Smart Licensing, you have a complete view of software, licenses, and devices from one portal. Licenses are easily registered and activated and can be shifted between like hardware platforms. Additional information is available here: https://www.cisco.com/web/ordering/smart-software-licensing/index.html and related information on Smart Licensing.

Smart Accounts is available here:
https://www.cisco.com/web/ordering/smart-software-manager/smart-accounts.html.

Cisco Smart Net Total Care support

Move Quickly with Anytime Access to Cisco Expertise and Resources.

Our award-winning Cisco Smart Net Total Care^™ gives your IT staff direct, anytime access to Technical Assistance Center (TAC) engineers and Cisco.com resources. You receive the fast, expert response and the dedicated accountability you need to resolve critical network issues.

Smart Net Total Care provides the following device-level support:

●     Global access 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to specialized engineers in the Cisco TAC.

●     Anytime access to the extensive Cisco.com online knowledge base, resources, and tools.

●     Hardware replacement options that include 2-hour, 4-hour, Next-Business-Day (NDB) advance replacement, as well as Return For Repair (RFR).

●     Ongoing operating system software updates, including both minor and major releases within your licensed feature set.

●     Proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on select devices with Smart Call Home.

In addition, the Cisco Smart Net Total Care Onsite Service provides a field engineer to install replacement parts at your location and help ensure that your network operates at the highest levels.

For more information on Smart Net Total Care please visit: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/services/portfolio/product-technical-support/smart-net-total-care.html.

Product specifications

Performance Specifications and Feature Highlights

Table 1 summarizes the capabilities of the Cisco Firepower 2100, 4100, and 9300 Series appliances when running the Cisco Firepower NGIPS.

Table 1.           Performance² specifications and feature highlights with the Firepower NGIPS

Ordering information

Ordering Information for Cisco Firepower NGIPS, available options, and hardware parts can be found in the Cisco Network Security Ordering Guide. What follows are a series of tables listing out specific components related to Firepower NGIPS.

Table 2.           Cisco Firepower 2100 Series Threat appliance bundles

Table 3.           Cisco Firepower 4100 Series Threat appliance bundles

Table 4.           Cisco Firepower 9300 Series Threat appliance bundles

Table 5.           Cisco Firepower 2100 series Fail-to-Wire (FTW) network modules

Table 6.           Cisco Firepower 4100 series Fail-to-Wire (FTW) network modules

Table 7.           Cisco Firepower 9300 series Fail-to-Wire (FTW) network modules

Warranty information

All Cisco hardware and software products are covered by warranty for a minimum of 90 days. Some products have longer warranties. For additional information on product warranty for the Firepower NGIPS product, please visit https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/warranty-listing.html.

Cisco and partner services for Cisco Firepower NGIPS

Cisco offers a wide range of service programs to help customers succeed. These innovative services programs are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction. Cisco Services help you protect your network investment, optimize network operations, and prepare your network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your business. For more information about our services for Cisco Firepower NGIPS, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/services/security.

Cisco Capital

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Next steps

To learn more about Cisco Firepower NGIPS threat appliances, please visit https://www.cisco.com/go/ngips.

To learn more about Cisco Advanced Malware Protection, please visit https://www.cisco.com/go/amp.

To learn more about Cisco’s Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group, please visit https://www.talosintelligence.com/.