IT organizations are being pulled in many directions. Evolving business models create complex security challenges, but IT resources and headcount often remain flat. IT consumerization is empowering users, which in turn introduces new devices and security risks that IT must manage and balance. At the same time, the threat environment is evolving such that the corporate perimeter is eroding, threats are increasingly difficult to detect and mitigate, and attacks are changing from broad to targeted. But these new consumer devices are powerful tools that can deliver big productivity gains, if harnessed properly.
Today's network is the platform for business interactions across organizations. Cisco® Borderless Networks help IT evolve its infrastructure to deliver seamless, secure access in a world with new and shifting borders. An important foundation of this framework is the Cisco integrated services router. These routers pioneered the delivery of secure, wire-speed data, voice, video, and other advanced services to small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise branch offices. Cisco ISR G2 platforms, solutions, and services enable organizations to "go borderless" and deliver the "secure borderless branch."
This overview focuses on the changing security landscape and the embedded security features of Cisco 800, 1900, 2900, and 3900 Series Integrated Services Routers. Amid market trends that point to growing customer demand for integrated services in small businesses and branch offices, this paper outlines the value of integrating security within the router. It also illustrates how a unique systems approach can effectively addresses security challenges today and well into the future.
This paper is not a technical deployment guide. Rather, it explains how Cisco is merging innovative network security technology with more than 20 years of routing expertise to redefine network security and provide customers with endto-end network protection.
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As security threats continue to expand exponentially, the branch office naturally becomes the first and foremost line of defense.
This paper does a great job of addressing the multitude of threats in the branch, and it especially looks at the advantages of integrating a plethora of security capabilities in the branch office router.
As such, it provides a great benchmark regardless of your exact choice of equipment provider.