Rapid changes in technology and market conditions have dramatically changed the role of data center. Emerging data center solutions such as virtualization and cloud computing make it possible for businesses to deliver faster and more agile services. Web 2.0 and e-commerce technologies increasingly create better end user experiences delivered by mission critical data centers. Explosive growth of mobile computing further accelerates convergence of data and applications in the data center for anytime and anywhere accessibility. Multi-tenancy in a shared data center environment is becoming a key business approach for customers to reduce their operational costs. Data center has become a powerful engine that drives business growth and opportunities.
Cisco Security Enables Robust Data Center Business Solutions
Security is a critical factor with major impact to the data center. The recent Cisco Connected World Report, Part 3 revealed that the greatest concern about data center is security. As the network perimeter becomes increasingly porous and as malware continues to spread, organizations are experiencing security threats to their data centers from both the Internet and their internal networks. Regulatory and industrial compliance mandates such as PCI DSS have prompted organizations to enforce security policies and controls to safeguard sensitive information and data in their data center. The data center engine needs strong security in order to perform with confidence and trust.
Security is an integral part of the Cisco data center architecture. Cisco data center security addresses security concerns and enables robust data center solutions.
Figure 1. Cisco data center architecture contains data center security as an integral component.
Cisco Data Center Security contains the following components:
• Threat defense
• Application and content security
• Virtualization security
• Secure Access
Threat defense:The Cisco®ASA 5585-X Adaptive Security Appliance provides firewall and intrusion prevention with high performance and scalability, and is an excellent choice for controlling north-south traffic (network traffic into and out of the data center). Furthermore, Cisco Security Intelligence Operations (SIO) arms the ASA 5585-X with the most up-to-date threat intelligence information.
Content security:Cisco email and web security solutions provide customers with the choice of on-premise, cloud-based and hybrid security services, protecting against known and zero-day malware outbreaks.
Virtualization security:The Cisco Virtual Security Gateway (VSG) works with Cisco Nexus®1000V switches to provide zone-based and policy-driven security. The VSG is well suited for securing east-west traffic (network traffic between virtual machines within the data center) and enables greater and more granular security and policy controls in virtual and cloud computing environments.
Secure access:Cisco AnyConnect™ Secure Mobility and Cisco TrustSec®establish secure and trusted access data center resources.
Cisco Data Center Security Benefits and Advantage
Cisco data center security enables an environment that is open to a wide range of business applications to support new business initiatives with policy controls. Pervasive Cisco data center security creates a personalized and unique end user experience. Cisco data center security is also versatile and efficient to help achieve speedy service delivery and operational excellence. With Cisco data center security, you can:
• Defend data center availability with threat defense
• Secure data center services with application and content security
• Prevent business loss with secure access; and
• Meet compliance requirements with policy controls in both physical and virtual environments
Cisco data center security provides the following differentiated advantages:
• Cisco had the technology know-how and strong customer commitment.
• The Cisco security portfolio has great depth and breadth that addresses customer data center security challenges.
• Cisco innovations, architecture and Validated Designs (CVDs) reduce your deployment and maintenance efforts to help achieve operational excellence and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
Summary
Cisco data center security helps organizations to secure physical and virtual computing environments, establish trusted access, identify and respond to evolving threats, protect critical assets, and enforce business policies. Cisco data center security enables robust and successful data center solutions for business.
