Introduction
This document describes the auto-update feature of the Umberlla dashboard for the AnyConnect Client.
Overview
August 21, 2024 Update: We have pushed the one time auto-update to Cisco Secure Client 5.1.5.65 (MR5) as notified earlier below. Cisco Secure Client 5.1 MR5 supports Umbrella-managed cloud auto-updates.
First published May 23, 2024:
In response to valued customer feedback, Cisco has decided to extend auto-update support from the Umbrella dashboard for the AnyConnect Client today to also include Cisco Secure Client 5.x. This however, results in having to extend the timeline for the Umbrella auto-update based transition from AnyConnect Client version 4.x to the new Cisco Secure Client 5.x.
Initially, after the March 31, 2023 End of Life announcement for AnyConnect 4.x, updates continued seamlessly through the cloud until the final 4.10 release. Cisco had, in accordance with the earlier service update announcement, prepared for a single cloud auto-update to the latest Cisco Secure Client 5.x post the March 31, 2024 End of Software Maintenance date for AnyConnect 4.10.
Understanding the importance of a smooth and comfortable transition, Cisco instead pushes out a one-time update to a Cisco Secure Client 5.x version that is compatible with future Umbrella-managed auto-updates. This is to ensure there is no gap in auto-update support for customers moving from AnyConnect to Cisco Secure Client 5.x. Put another way, if we did the one-time update now to the current version of Secure Client 5.1.4, that version would not be compatible with the future Umbrella-managed auto-updates. This would result in customers having to upgrade again, manually, to an as yet unreleased version of Secure Client 5.x that supports Umbrella-managed cloud auto-updates.
Customers who have embraced cloud-distributed updates are accommodated with the one-time update to Cisco Secure Client 5.x by August 2024. This grants customers some additional time to plan and prepare for this change.
Customers who have installed Umbrella Roaming Client and are interested in upgrading to Cisco Secure Client has to use 3rd party client management software tools to install Cisco Secure Client on top of Umbrella Roaming client. Doing so causes Cisco Secure Client to inherit the Umbrella Roaming client configuration. The current version of Secure Client 5.1.4 is not compatible with Umbrella-managed cloud auto-updates. Customers who consider cloud managed auto-updates as important can consider waiting for the future version of Secure Client 5.x that supports Umbrella-managed cloud auto-updates.
Non-MSP customers who choose to update to the current version of Cisco Secure Client 5.1.4 could consider switching to Cisco Secure Client Cloud Management. Client Management capabilities are not going away as part of the SecureX EOL, the functionality is simply migrating to the Cisco Security Cloud Control service. Please see Accessing Secure Client Cloud Management after the SecureX EoL - Cisco Blogs for more details.
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