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Data Center Security

Data Center Security

Data centers are crucial in storing and managing vast information in today's digital age. However, with increasing cyber threats, ensuring robust security measures within data centers has become more critical. This blog post will explore how Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) can enhance data center security, providing a reliable and comprehensive solution for safeguarding valuable data.

Cisco ACI segmentation is a cutting-edge approach that divides a network into distinct segments, enabling granular control and segmentation of network traffic. Unlike traditional network architectures, which rely on VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), ACI segmentation leverages the power of software-defined networking (SDN) to provide a more flexible and efficient solution. By utilizing the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), administrators can define and enforce policies to govern communication between different segments.

Micro-segmentation has become a buzzword in the networking industry. Leaving the term and marketing aside, it is easy to understand why customers want its benefits.Micro-segmentation's primary advantage is reducing the attack surface by minimizing lateral movement in the event of a security breach.

With traditional networking technologies, this is very difficult to accomplish. However, SDN technologies enable an innovative approach by allowing degrees of flexibility and automation impossible with traditional network management and operations. This makes micro-segmentation possible.

Highlights: Data Center Security

Data Center Security Techniques

Data center network security encompasses a set of protocols, technologies, and practices to safeguard the infrastructure and data within data centers. It involves multiple layers of protection, including physical security, network segmentation, access controls, and threat detection mechanisms. By deploying comprehensive security measures, organizations can fortify their digital fortresses against potential breaches and unauthorized access.

Key Data Center Security Notes:

A. Physical Security Measures: Physical security forms the first line of defense for data centers. This includes biometric access controls, surveillance cameras, and restricted entry points. By implementing these measures, organizations can limit physical access to critical infrastructure and prevent unauthorized tampering or theft.

B. Network Segmentation: Segmenting a data center network into isolated zones helps contain potential breaches and limit the lateral movement of threats. By dividing the network into distinct segments based on user roles, applications, or sensitivity levels, organizations can minimize the impact of an attack, ensuring that compromised areas can be contained without affecting the entire network.

C. Access Controls: Strong access controls are crucial for data center network security. These controls involve robust authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control (RBAC), to ensure that only authorized personnel can access critical resources. Regularly reviewing and updating access privileges further strengthens the security posture.

D. Threat Detection and Prevention: Data center networks should employ advanced threat detection and prevention mechanisms. This includes intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) that monitor network traffic for suspicious activities and proactively mitigate potential threats. Additionally, deploying firewalls, antivirus software, and regular security patches helps protect against known vulnerabilities.

E: Data Encryption and Protection: Data encryption is a critical measure in safeguarding data both at rest and in transit. By encoding data, encryption ensures that even if it is intercepted, it remains unreadable without the proper decryption keys. Cisco’s encryption solutions offer comprehensive protection for data exchange within and outside the data center. Additionally, implementing data loss prevention (DLP) strategies helps in identifying, monitoring, and protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access or leakages.

Data Center Security – SCCs

A: **Understanding Security Command Center**

Security Command Center (SCC) is a comprehensive security management tool that provides visibility into your Google Cloud assets and their security status. It acts as a centralized hub, enabling you to identify potential vulnerabilities and threats before they escalate into serious issues. By leveraging SCC, businesses can ensure their data centers remain secure, compliant, and efficient.

**Detecting Threats with Precision**

One of the standout features of Security Command Center is its ability to detect threats with precision. Utilizing advanced threat detection capabilities, SCC continuously monitors your cloud environment for signs of suspicious activity. It leverages machine learning algorithms and Google’s vast threat intelligence to identify anomalies, ensuring that potential threats are flagged before they can cause harm. This proactive approach to security allows organizations to respond swiftly, minimizing potential damage.

**Investigating Threats with Confidence**

Once a threat is detected, it’s crucial to have the tools necessary to investigate it thoroughly. Security Command Center provides detailed insights into security incidents, offering a clear view of what happened, when, and how. This level of transparency empowers security teams to conduct comprehensive investigations, trace the root cause of incidents, and implement effective remediation strategies. With SCC, businesses can maintain control over their security landscape, ensuring continuous protection against cyber threats.

**Enhancing Data Center Security on Google Cloud**

Integrating Security Command Center into your Google Cloud infrastructure significantly enhances your data center’s security framework. SCC provides a holistic view of your security posture, enabling you to assess risks, prioritize security initiatives, and ensure compliance with industry standards. By adopting SCC, organizations can bolster their defenses, safeguarding their critical data assets and maintaining customer trust.

Example: Event Threat Protection & Security Health Analysis

Data Center Security – NEGs

B: **Understanding Network Endpoint Groups**

Network endpoint groups are collections of network endpoints, such as virtual machine instances or internet protocol addresses, that you can use to manage and direct traffic within Google Cloud. NEGs are particularly useful for deploying applications across multiple environments, providing the flexibility to choose between different types of endpoints. This feature is pivotal when dealing with a hybrid architecture, ensuring that traffic is efficiently directed to the most appropriate resource, whether it resides in your cloud infrastructure or on-premises.

**The Role of NEGs in Data Center Security**

One of the standout benefits of using network endpoint groups is their contribution to enhancing data center security. By enabling precise traffic management, NEGs allow for better segmentation and isolation of network traffic, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. With the ability to direct traffic to specific endpoints, NEGs provide an additional layer of security, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data and applications. This capability is crucial in today’s cybersecurity landscape, where threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

**Integrating NEGs with Google Cloud Services**

Network endpoint groups seamlessly integrate with various Google Cloud services, making them a versatile tool for optimizing your cloud environment. For instance, NEGs can be used in conjunction with Google Cloud’s load balancing services to distribute traffic across multiple endpoints, enhancing the availability and reliability of your applications. Additionally, NEGs can work with Google Cloud’s Kubernetes Engine, allowing for more granular control over how traffic is routed to your containerized applications. This integration ensures that your applications can scale efficiently while maintaining high performance.

**Best Practices for Implementing NEGs**

When implementing network endpoint groups, it’s essential to follow best practices to maximize their effectiveness. Start by clearly defining your endpoint groups based on your application architecture and traffic patterns. Ensure that endpoints are regularly monitored and maintained to prevent potential bottlenecks. Additionally, leverage Google’s monitoring and logging tools to gain insights into traffic patterns and potential security threats. By adhering to these best practices, you can harness the full potential of NEGs and ensure a robust and secure cloud infrastructure.

network endpoint groups

Data Center Security – VPC Service Control

C: **How VPC Service Controls Work**

VPC Service Controls work by creating virtual perimeters around the Google Cloud resources you want to protect. These perimeters restrict unauthorized access and data transfer, both accidental and intentional. When a service perimeter is set up, it enforces policies that prevent data from leaving the defined boundary without proper authorization. This means that even if credentials are compromised, sensitive data cannot be moved outside the specified perimeter, thus providing an additional security layer over Google Cloud’s existing IAM roles and permissions.

**Integrating VPC Service Controls with Your Cloud Strategy**

Integrating VPC Service Controls into your cloud strategy can significantly bolster your security framework. Begin by identifying the critical services and data that require the most protection. Next, define the service perimeters to encompass these resources. It’s essential to regularly review and update these perimeters to adapt to changes in your cloud environment. Additionally, leverage Google Cloud’s monitoring tools to gain insights and alerts on any unauthorized access attempts. This proactive approach ensures that your cloud infrastructure remains resilient against evolving threats.

VPC Security Controls

**Best Practices for Implementing VPC Service Controls**

To maximize the effectiveness of VPC Service Controls, organizations should follow best practices. First, ensure that your team is well-versed in both Google Cloud services and the specifics of VPC Service Controls. Regular training sessions can help keep everyone up to date with the latest features and security measures. Secondly, implement the principle of least privilege by granting the minimal level of access necessary for users and services. Lastly, continuously monitor and audit your cloud environment to detect and respond to any anomalies swiftly.

Data Center Security – Cloud Armor

D: **Understanding Cloud Armor**

Cloud Armor is a cloud-based security service that leverages Google’s global infrastructure to provide advanced protection for your applications. It offers a range of security features, including DDoS protection, WAF (Web Application Firewall) capabilities, and threat intelligence. By utilizing Cloud Armor, businesses can defend against various cyber threats, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other web vulnerabilities.

**The Power of Edge Security Policies**

One of the standout features of Cloud Armor is its edge security policies. These policies enable businesses to enforce security measures at the network edge, closer to the source of potential threats. By doing so, Cloud Armor can effectively mitigate attacks before they reach your applications, reducing the risk of downtime and data breaches. Edge security policies can be customized to suit your specific needs, allowing you to create tailored rules that address the unique security challenges faced by your organization.

**Implementing Cloud Armor in Your Security Strategy**

Integrating Cloud Armor into your existing security strategy is a straightforward process. Begin by assessing your current security posture and identifying any potential vulnerabilities. Next, configure Cloud Armor’s edge security policies to address these vulnerabilities and provide an additional layer of protection. Regularly monitor and update your policies to ensure they remain effective against emerging threats. By incorporating Cloud Armor into your security strategy, you can enhance your overall security posture and protect your digital assets more effectively.

**Benefits of Using Cloud Armor**

There are numerous benefits to using Cloud Armor for your security needs. Firstly, its global infrastructure ensures low latency and high availability, providing a seamless experience for your users. Secondly, the customizable edge security policies allow for granular control over your security measures, ensuring that you can address specific threats as they arise. Additionally, Cloud Armor’s integration with other Google Cloud services enables a unified security approach, streamlining your security management and monitoring efforts.

### The Role of Cloud Armor in Cyber Defense

Google Cloud Armor serves as a robust defense mechanism against DDoS attacks, providing enterprises with scalable and adaptive security solutions. Built on Google Cloud’s global network, Cloud Armor leverages the same infrastructure that protects Google’s services, offering unparalleled protection against high-volume attacks. By dynamically filtering malicious traffic, it ensures that legitimate requests reach their destination without disruption, maintaining the availability and performance of online services.

### Enhancing Data Center Security

Data centers, the backbone of modern business operations, face unique security challenges. Cloud Armor enhances data center security by providing a first line of defense against DDoS threats. Its customizable security policies allow organizations to tailor their defenses to specific needs, ensuring that only legitimate traffic flows into data centers. Coupled with advanced threat intelligence, Cloud Armor adapts to emerging threats, keeping data centers secure and operational even during sophisticated attack attempts.

### Key Features of Cloud Armor

Cloud Armor offers a range of features designed to shield enterprises from DDoS attacks, including:

– **Adaptive Protection**: Continuously analyzes traffic patterns to identify and block malicious activities in real-time.

– **Global Load Balancing**: Distributes traffic across multiple servers, preventing any single point from becoming overwhelmed.

– **Customizable Security Policies**: Allows businesses to define rules and policies that match their specific security requirements.

– **Threat Intelligence**: Utilizes Google’s vast threat database to stay ahead of emerging threats and enhance protection measures.

Data Center Security – FortiGate

E: FortiGate and Google Cloud

Cloud security has become a top concern for organizations worldwide. The dynamic nature of cloud environments necessitates a proactive approach to protect sensitive data, prevent unauthorized access, and mitigate potential threats. Google Compute Engine offers a reliable and scalable infrastructure, but it is essential to implement additional security measures to fortify your cloud resources.

FortiGate, a leading network security solution, seamlessly integrates with Google Compute Engine to enhance the security posture of your cloud environment. With its advanced features, including firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention system (IPS), and more, FortiGate provides comprehensive protection for your compute resources.

Firewall Protection: FortiGate offers a robust firewall solution, allowing you to define and enforce granular access policies for inbound and outbound network traffic. This helps prevent unauthorized access attempts and safeguards your cloud infrastructure from external threats.

VPN Connectivity: With FortiGate, you can establish secure VPN connections between your on-premises network and Google Compute Engine instances. This ensures encrypted communication channels, protecting data in transit and enabling secure remote access.

Intrusion Prevention System (IPS): FortiGate’s IPS capabilities enable real-time detection and prevention of potential security breaches. It actively monitors network traffic, identifies malicious activities, and takes immediate action to block threats, ensuring the integrity of your compute resources.

Data Center Security – PCS

What is Private Service Connect?

Private Service Connect is a Google Cloud feature that allows you to securely connect services from different Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) without exposing them to the public internet. By using internal IP addresses, Private Service Connect ensures that your data remains within the confines of Google’s secure network, protecting it from external threats and unauthorized access.

### Enhancing Security with Google Cloud

Google Cloud’s infrastructure is built with security at its core, and Private Service Connect is no exception. By routing traffic through Google’s private network, this feature reduces the attack surface, making it significantly harder for malicious entities to intercept or breach sensitive data. Furthermore, it supports encryption, ensuring that data in transit is protected against eavesdropping and tampering.

### Seamless Integration and Flexibility

One of the standout benefits of Private Service Connect is its seamless integration with existing Google Cloud services. Whether you’re running applications on Compute Engine, using Cloud Storage, or leveraging BigQuery, Private Service Connect allows you to connect these services effortlessly, without the need for complex configurations. This flexibility ensures that businesses can tailor their cloud infrastructure to meet their specific security and connectivity needs.

private service connect

**Cisco ACI and Segmentation**

Network segmentation involves dividing a network into multiple smaller segments or subnetworks, isolating different types of traffic, and enhancing security. Cisco ACI offers an advanced network segmentation framework beyond traditional VLAN-based segmentation. It enables the creation of logical network segments based on business policies, applications, and user requirements.

Cisco ACI is one of many data center topologies that must be secured. It lacks a data center firewall and has a zero-trust model. However, more is required; the policy must say what can happen. Firstly, we must create a policy. You have Endpoint groups (EPG) and a contract. These would be the initial security measures. Think of a contract as the policy statement and an Endpoint group as a container or holder for applications of the same security level.

**Cisco ACI & Micro-segmentation**

Micro-segmentation has become a buzzword in the networking industry. Leaving the term and marketing aside, it is easy to understand why customers want its benefits. Micro-segmentation’s primary advantage is reducing the attack surface by minimizing lateral movement in the event of a security breach. With traditional networking technologies, this isn’t easy to accomplish. However, SDN technologies enable an innovative approach by allowing degrees of flexibility and automation that are impossible with traditional network management and operations. This makes micro-segmentation possible.

For those who haven’t explored this topic yet, Cisco ACI has ESG. ESGs are an alternative approach to segmentation that decouples it from the early concepts of forwarding and security associated with Endpoint Groups. Thus, segmentation and forwarding are handled separately by ESGs, allowing for greater flexibility and possibilities.

**Cisco ACI ESGs**

Cisco ACI ESGs are virtual appliances that provide advanced network services within the Cisco ACI fabric. They offer various functionalities, including firewalling, load balancing, and network address translation, all seamlessly integrated into the ACI architecture. By utilizing ESGs, organizations can achieve centralized network management while maintaining granular control over their network policies.

One key advantage of Cisco ACI ESGs is their ability to streamline network management. With ESGs, administrators can easily define and enforce network policies across the entire ACI fabric, eliminating the need for complex and time-consuming manual configurations. The centralized management provided by ESGs enhances operational efficiency and reduces the risk of human errors.

Security is a top priority for any organization, and Cisco ACI ESGs deliver robust security features. With built-in firewall capabilities and advanced threat detection mechanisms, ESGs ensure only authorized traffic flows through the network. Furthermore, ESGs support micro-segmentation, allowing organizations to create isolated security zones within their network, preventing any lateral movement of threats.

**Cisco ACI and ACI Service Graph**

The ACI service graph is how Layer 4 to Layer 7 functions or devices can be integrated into ACI. This helps ACI redirect traffic between different security zones of FW or load balancer. The ACI L4-L7 services can be anything from load balancing and firewalling to advanced security services. Then, we have ACI segments that reduce the attack surface to an absolute minimum.

Then, you can add an ACI service graph to insert your security function that consists of ACI L4-L7 services. Now, we are heading into the second stage of security. What we like about this is the ease of use. If your application is removed, all the dots, such as the contract, EPG, ACI service graph, and firewall rules, get released. Cisco calls this security embedded in the application and allows automatic remediation, a tremendous advantage for security functionality insertion.

Cisco Data Center Security Technologies

Example Technology: NEXUS MAC ACLs

MAC ACLs, or Media Access Control Access Control Lists, are essential for controlling network traffic based on MAC addresses. Unlike traditional IP-based ACLs, MAC ACLs operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model, granting granular control over individual devices within a network. Network administrators can enforce security policies and mitigate unauthorized access by filtering traffic at the MAC address level.

MAC ACL Key Advantages

The utilization of MAC ACLs brings forth several noteworthy advantages. Firstly, they provide an additional layer of security by complementing IP-based ACLs. This dual-layered approach ensures comprehensive protection against potential threats. Moreover, MAC ACLs enable the isolation of specific devices or groups, allowing for enhanced segmentation and network organization. Additionally, their ability to filter traffic at Layer 2 minimizes the strain on network resources, resulting in optimized performance.

Understanding VLAN ACLs

Before diving into the configuration details, let’s understand VLAN ACLs clearly. VLAN ACLs are rules that control traffic flow between VLANs in a network. They act as filters, allowing or denying specific types of traffic based on defined criteria such as source/destination IP addresses, protocol types, or port numbers. By effectively implementing VLAN ACLs, network administrators can control and restrict resource access, mitigate security threats, and optimize network performance.

ACLs – Virtual Security Fence

ACLs (Access Control Lists) are rules that determine whether to permit or deny network traffic. They act as a virtual security fence, controlling data flow between network segments. ACLs can be applied at various points in the network, including routers, switches, and firewalls. Traditionally, ACLs were used to control traffic between different subnets. Still, with the advent of VLANs, ACLs can now be applied at the VLAN level, offering granular control over network traffic.

What is a MAC Move Policy?

In the context of Cisco NX-OS devices, a MAC move policy dictates how MAC addresses are handled when they move from one port to another within the network. It defines the device’s actions, such as flooding, forwarding, or blocking the MAC address. This policy ensures efficient delivery of data packets and prevents unnecessary flooding, reducing network congestion.

Types of MAC Move Policies

Cisco NX-OS devices offer different MAC move policies to cater to diverse network requirements. The most commonly used policies include:

1. Forward: In this policy, the device updates its MAC address table and forwards data packets to the new destination port.

2. Flood: When a MAC address moves, the device floods the data packets to all ports within the VLAN, allowing the destination device to learn the new location of the MAC address.

3. Drop: This policy drops data packets destined for the moved MAC address, effectively isolating it from the network.

Data Center Visibility Technologies

**Understanding sFlow**

sFlow is a sampling-based network monitoring technology that allows network administrators to gain real-time visibility into their network traffic. By continuously sampling packets at wire speed, sFlow provides a comprehensive view of network behavior without imposing significant overhead on the network devices.

sFlow Key Advantages

On Cisco NX-OS, sFlow brings a host of benefits for network administrators. Firstly, it enables proactive network monitoring by providing real-time visibility into network traffic patterns, allowing administrators to identify and address potential issues quickly. Secondly, sFlow on Cisco NX-OS facilitates capacity planning by providing detailed insights into traffic utilization, enabling administrators to optimize network resources effectively.

Understanding Nexus Switch Profiles

To begin our exploration, we must grasp the fundamentals of Nexus Switch Profiles. These profiles are essentially templates that define the configuration settings for Nexus switches. Network administrators can easily apply consistent configurations across multiple switches by creating profiles, reducing manual effort and potential errors. These profiles include VLAN configurations, interface settings, access control lists, and more.

Nexus Switch Profiles Key Advantages

Nexus Switch Profiles offer numerous benefits for network administrators and organizations. First, they streamline the configuration process by providing a centralized and standardized approach. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency across the network infrastructure. Additionally, profiles allow for easy scalability, enabling the swift deployment of new switches with pre-defined configurations. Moreover, these profiles enhance security by enforcing consistent access control policies and reducing the risk of misconfigurations.

Related: For pre-information, you may find the following posts helpful:

  1. Cisco ACI 
  2. ACI Cisco
  3. ACI Networks
  4. Stateful Inspection Firewall
  5. Cisco Secure Firewall
  6. Segment Routing

Security with Cisco ACI

Data Center Security with Cisco ACI

Cisco ACI includes many tools to implement and enhance security and segmentation from day 0. We already mentioned tenant objects like EPGs, and then for policy, we have contracts permitting traffic between them. We also have micro-segmentation with Cisco ACI.  Even though the ACI fabric can deploy zoning rules with filters and act as a distributed data center firewall, the result is comparable to a stateless set of access lists ACLs.

As a result, they can provide coarse security for traffic flowing through the fabric.  However, for better security, we can introduce deep traffic inspection capabilities like application firewalls, intrusion detection (prevention) systems (IDS/IPS), or load balancers, which often secure application workloads. 

Cisco ACI – Application-centric security 

ACI security addresses security concerns with several application-centric infrastructure security options. You may have heard of the allowlist policy model. This is the ACI security starting point, meaning only something can be communicated if policy allows it. This might prompt you to think that a data center firewall is involved. Still, although the ACI allowlist model does change the paradigm and improves how you apply security, it is only analogous to access control lists within a switch or router. 

Cisco Secure Firewall Integration

We need additional protection. So, further protocol inspection and monitoring are still required, which data center firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPSs) do very well and can be easily integrated into your ACI network. Here, we can introduce Cisco Firepower Threat Defence (FTD) to improve security with Cisco ACI.

**Starting ACI Security**

**ACI Contracts**

In network terminology, contracts are a mechanism for creating access lists between two groups of devices. This function was initially developed in the network via network devices using access lists and then eventually managed by firewalls of various types, depending on the need for deeper packet inspection. As the data center evolved, access-list complexity increased.

Adding devices to the network that require new access-list modifications could become increasingly complex. While contracts satisfy the security requirements handled by access control lists (ACLs) in conventional network settings, they are a more flexible, manageable, and comprehensive ACI security solution.

Contracts control traffic flow within the ACI fabric between EPGs and are configured between EPGs or between EPGs and L3out. Contracts are assigned a scope of Global, Tenant, VRF, or Application Profile, which limits their accessibility.

**Challenge: Static ACLs**

With traditional data center security design, we have standard access control lists (ACLs) with several limitations the ACI fabric security model addresses and overcomes. First, the conventional ACL is very tightly coupled with the network topology. They are typically configured per router or switch ingress and egress interface and are customized to that interface and the expected traffic flow through those interfaces. 

**Management Complexity**

Due to this customization, they often cannot be reused across interfaces, much less across routers or switches. In addition, traditional ACLs can be very complicated because they contain lists of specific IP addresses, subnets, and protocols that are allowed and many that are not authorized. This complexity means they are challenging to maintain and often grow as administrators are reluctant to remove any ACL rules for fear of creating a problem.

**ACI Fabric Security – Contracts, Filters & Labels**

The ACI fabric security model addresses these ACL issues. Cisco ACI administrators use contract, filter, and label managed objects to specify how groups of endpoints are allowed to communicate. 

The critical point is that these managed objects are not tied to the network’s topology because they are not applied to a specific interface. Instead, they are rules that the network must enforce irrespective of where these endpoints are connected.  So, security follows the workloads, allowing topology independence.

Furthermore, this topology independence means these managed objects can easily be deployed and reused throughout the data center, not just as specific demarcation points. The ACI fabric security model uses the endpoint grouping construct directly, so allowing groups of servers to communicate with one another is simple. With a single rule in a contract, we can allow an arbitrary number of sources to speak with an equally random number of destinations. 

Micro-segmentation in ACI

We know that perimeter security is insufficient these days. Once breached, lateral movement can allow bad actors to move within large segments to compromise more assets. Traditional segmentation based on large zones gives bad actors a large surface to play with. Keep in mind that identity attacks are hard to detect.

How can you tell if a bad actor moves laterally through the network with compromised credentials or if an IT administrator is carrying out day-to-day activities?  Micro-segmentation can improve the security posture inside the data center. Now, we can perform segmentation to minimize segment size and provide lesser exposure for lateral movement due to a reduction in the attack surface.

**ACI Segments**

ACI microsegmentation refers to segmenting an application-centric infrastructure into smaller, more granular units. This segmentation allows for better control and management of network traffic, improved security measures, and better performance. Organizations implementing an ACI microsegmentation solution can isolate different applications and workloads within their network. This allows them to reduce their network’s attack surface and improve their applications’ performance.

**Creating ACI Segments**

Creating ACI segments based on ACI microsegmentation works by segmenting the network infrastructure into multiple subnets. This allows for fine-grained control over network traffic and security policies. Furthermore, it will enable organizations to quickly identify and isolate different applications and workloads within the network.

**Microsegmentation Advantages**

The benefits of ACI microsegmentation are numerous. Organizations can create a robust security solution that reduces their network’s attack surface by segmenting the network infrastructure into multiple subnets. Additionally, by isolating different applications and workloads, organizations can improve their application performance and reduce the potential for malicious traffic.

ACI Segments with Cisco ACI ESG

We also have an ESG, which is different from an EPG. The EPG is mandatory and is how you attach workloads to the fabric. Then, we have the ESG, which is an abstraction layer. Now, we are connected to a VRF, not a bridge domain, so we have more flexibility.

As of ACI 5.0, Endpoint Security Groups (ESGs) are Cisco ACI’s new network security component. Although Endpoint Groups (EPGs) have been providing network security in Cisco ACI, they must be associated with a single bridge domain (BD) and used to define security zones within that BD. 

This is because the EPGs define both forwarding and security segmentation simultaneously. The direct relationship between the BD and an EPG limits the possibility of an EPG spanning more than one BD. The new ESG constructs resolve this limitation of EPGs.

ACI Segments
Diagram: Endpoint Security Groups. The source is Cisco.

Standard Endpoint Groups and Policy Control

As discussed in ACI security, devices are grouped into Endpoint groups, creating ACI segments. This grouping allows the creation of various types of policy enforcement, including access control. Once we have our EPGs defined, we need to create policies to determine how they communicate with each other.

For example, a contract typically refers to one or more ‘filters’ to describe specific protocols & ports allowed between EPGs. We also have ESGs that provide additional security flexibility with more fine-grained ACI segments. Let’s dig a little into the world of contracts in ACI and how these relate to old access control of the past.

Microsegmentation with Cisco ACI adds the ability to group endpoints in existing application EPGs into new microsegment (uSeg) EPGs and configure the network or VM-based attributes for those uSeg EPGs. This enables you to filter with those attributes and apply more dynamic policies. 

We can use various attributes to classify endpoints in an EPG called µEPG. Network-based attributes: IP/MAC VM-based attributes: Guest OS, VM name, ID, vnic, DVS, Datacenter.

Example: Microsegmentation for Endpoint Quarantine 

Let us look at a use case. You might have separate EPGs for web and database servers, each containing both Windows and Linux VMs. Suppose a virus affecting only Windows threatens your network, not the Linux environment.

In that case, you can isolate Windows VMs across all EPGs by creating a new EPG called, for example, “Windows-Quarantine” and applying the VM-based operating systems attribute to filter out all Windows-based endpoints. 

This quarantined EPG could have more restrictive communication policies, such as limiting allowed protocols or preventing communication with other EPGs by not having any contract. A microsegment EPG can have a contract or not have a contract.

ACI service graph

ACI and Policy-based redirect: ACI L4-L7 Services

The ACI L4–L7 policy-based redirect (PBR) concept is similar to policy-based routing in traditional networking. In conventional networking, policy-based routing classifies traffic and steers desired traffic from its path to a network device as the next-hop route (NHR). This feature was used in networking for decades to redirect traffic to service devices such as firewalls, load balancers, IPSs/IDSs, and Wide-Area Application Services (WAAS).

In ACI, the PBR concept is similar: You classify specific traffic to steer to a service node by using a subject in a contract. Then, other traffic follows the regular forwarding path, using another subject in the same contract without the PBR policy applied.

ACI L4-l7 services
Diagram: ACI PBR. Source is Cisco

Deploying PBR for ACI L4-L7 services

With ACI policy-based redirect ( ACI L4-L7 services ), firewalls and load balancers can be provisioned as managed or unmanaged nodes without requiring Layer 4 to Layer 7 packages. The typical use cases include providing appliances that can be pooled, tailored to application profiles, scaled quickly, and are less prone to service outages. 

In addition, by enabling consumer and provider endpoints to be located in the same virtual routing and forwarding instance (VRF), PBR simplifies the deployment of service appliances. To deploy PBR, you must create an ACI service graph template that uses the route and cluster redirect policies. 

After deploying the ACI service graph template, the service appliance enables endpoint groups to consume the service graph endpoint group. Using vzAny can be further simplified and automated. Dedicated service appliances may be required for performance reasons, but PBR can also be used to deploy virtual service appliances quickly.

ACI l4-l4 services
Diagram: ACI Policy-based redirect. Source is Cisco

ACI’s service graph and policy-based redirect (PBR) objects bring advanced traffic steering capabilities to universally utilize any Layer 4 – Layer 7 security device connected in the fabric, even without needing it to be a default gateway for endpoints or part of a complicated VRF sandwich design and VLAN network stitching. So now it has become much easier to implement a Layer 4 – Layer 7 inspection.

You won’t be limited to a single L4-L7 appliance; ACI can chain many of them together or even load balance between multiple active nodes according to your needs. The critical point here is to utilize it universally. The security functions can be in their POD connected to a leaf switch or a pair of leaf switches dedicated to security appliances not located at strategic network points.

An ACI service graph represents the network using the following elements:

  • Function node—A function node represents a function that is applied to the traffic, such as a transform (SSL termination, VPN gateway), filter (firewalls), or terminal (intrusion detection systems). A function within the ACI service graph might require one or more parameters and have one or more connectors.
  • Terminal node—A terminal node enables input and output from the service graph.
  • Connector—A connector enables input and output from a node.
  • Connection—A connection determines how traffic is forwarded through the network.
ACI Service Graph
Diagram: ACI Service Graph. Source is Cisco

Summary: Data Center Security

In today’s digital landscape, network security is of utmost importance. Organizations constantly seek ways to protect their data and infrastructure from cyber threats. One solution that has gained significant attention is Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). In this blog post, we explored the various aspects of Cisco ACI Security and how it can enhance network security.

Understanding Cisco ACI

Cisco ACI is a policy-based automation solution that provides a centralized network management approach. It offers a flexible and scalable network infrastructure that combines software-defined networking (SDN) and network virtualization.

Key Security Features of Cisco ACI

Micro-Segmentation: One of Cisco ACI’s standout features is micro-segmentation. It allows organizations to divide their network into smaller segments, providing granular control over security policies. This helps limit threats’ lateral movement and contain potential breaches.

Integrated Security Services: Cisco ACI integrates seamlessly with various security services, such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and threat intelligence platforms. This integration ensures a holistic security approach and enables real-time detection and prevention.

Policy-Based Security

Policy Enforcement: With Cisco ACI, security policies can be defined and enforced at the application level. This means that security rules can follow applications as they move across the network, providing consistent protection. Policies can be defined based on application requirements, user roles, or other criteria.

Automation and Orchestration: Cisco ACI simplifies security management through automation and orchestration. Security policies can be applied dynamically based on predefined rules, reducing the manual effort required to configure and maintain security settings. This agility helps organizations respond quickly to emerging threats.

Threat Intelligence and Analytics

Real-Time Monitoring: Cisco ACI provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities, allowing organizations to gain real-time visibility into their network traffic. This includes traffic behavior analysis, anomaly detection, and threat intelligence integration. Proactively monitoring the network can identify and mitigate potential security incidents promptly.

Centralized Security Management: Cisco ACI offers a centralized management console for easily managing security policies and configurations. This streamlines security operations simplifies troubleshooting and ensures consistent policy enforcement across the network.

Conclusion: Cisco ACI is a powerful solution for enhancing network security. Its micro-segmentation capabilities, integration with security services, policy-based security enforcement, and advanced threat intelligence and analytics make it a robust choice for organizations looking to protect their network infrastructure. By adopting Cisco ACI, businesses can strengthen their security posture and mitigate the ever-evolving cyber threats.

data center firewall

Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud

Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud

In today's digital era, network security is of paramount importance. With the rise of cloud-based services and remote work, businesses require a comprehensive security solution that not only protects their network but also ensures scalability and flexibility. Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) Cloud is a cutting-edge solution that combines the robustness of firewall protection with the agility of cloud-based security services. In this blog post, we will delve into the features and benefits of Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud.

Cisco Secure Firewall is an advanced network security solution designed to safeguard organizations from cyber threats. Built on industry-leading technology, it provides next-generation firewall capabilities, intrusion prevention, and application control. With granular security policies, deep visibility, and advanced threat intelligence, Cisco Secure Firewall empowers businesses to protect their networks from internal and external threats effectively.

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) is a transformative approach to network security and connectivity. By converging networking and security functions into a unified cloud-based service, SASE offers organizations scalable and flexible security solutions. Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud takes advantage of this architecture, providing businesses with integrated security services that are delivered from the cloud. This enables seamless scalability, simplified management, and enhanced protection against evolving threats.

Cloud-Native Firewall: Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud leverages the power of cloud-native architecture, enabling organizations to easily scale their security infrastructure based on demand. It ensures consistent security policies across various locations and eliminates the need for hardware-based firewalls.

Advanced Threat Protection: With integrated threat intelligence and advanced analytics, Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud offers robust protection against sophisticated threats. It provides real-time threat detection and prevention, ensuring that businesses stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

Simplified Management: The centralized management console allows organizations to effortlessly manage their security policies and configurations. From a single interface, administrators can efficiently deploy and enforce security policies, reducing complexity and enhancing operational efficiency.

As organizations continue to embrace digital transformation, the network landscape is constantly evolving. Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud future-proofs your network by providing a scalable and adaptable security solution. Its cloud-native architecture and integration with SASE enable businesses to stay agile and easily adapt to changing security requirements, ensuring long-term protection and resilience.

Highlights: Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud

Understanding the Cisco Secure Firewall

Cisco Secure Firewall is a cutting-edge network security appliance that provides advanced threat protection, secure connectivity, and simplified management. It combines next-generation firewall capabilities with intrusion prevention, application visibility and control, and advanced malware protection. With its comprehensive suite of security features, it offers a multi-layered defense against a wide range of cyber threats.

Key Cisco Secure Firewall Features:

– Advanced Threat Protection: The Cisco Secure Firewall employs advanced intelligence to detect and prevent sophisticated attacks, including malware, ransomware, and zero-day exploits. Its integrated security technologies work in tandem to identify and mitigate threats in real-time, ensuring your network infrastructure’s highest level of protection.

– Secure Connectivity: The Cisco Secure Firewall enables secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity with built-in VPN capabilities. It establishes encrypted tunnels, allowing authorized users to access network resources from anywhere while ensuring data confidentiality and integrity.

– Application Visibility and Control: Gaining visibility into network traffic and effectively managing application usage is crucial for optimizing network performance and ensuring security. The Cisco Secure Firewall offers granular application control, allowing administrators to define policies and prioritize critical applications while restricting or blocking unauthorized ones.

**Broken Firewall Rules**

One-third of your firewall rules are broken. You can use the Cisco AI Assistant for Security to identify and report policies, augment troubleshooting, and automate policy lifecycle management with the Cisco AI Assistant for Security. Also, take back control of your encrypted traffic and application environments. Cisco Talos lets you see and detect more across your infrastructure while ensuring security resilience across billions of signals.

**Advanced Clustering & HA**

This enabled you to drive efficiency at scale. Secure Firewall’s advanced clustering, high availability, and multi-instance capabilities allow you to scale, be reliable, and be productive. Finally, by integrating network, microsegmentation, and app security, Secure Firewall makes zero-trust achievable and cost-effective. It automates access and anticipates what comes next.

Knowledge Check: Cisco’s Firewalling

Cisco integrated its original Sourcefire’s next-generation security technologies into its existing firewall solutions, the Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA). In that early implementation, Sourcefire technologies ran as a separate service module. Later, Cisco designed new hardware platforms to support Sourcefire technologies natively.

They are named Cisco Firepower, later rebranded as Cisco Secure Firewall, which is the current implementation of Firewalling. In the new implementation, Cisco converges Sourcefire’s next-generation security features, open-source Snort, and ASA’s firewall functionalities into a unified software image. This unified software is called the Firepower Threat Defense (FTD). After rebranding, this software is now known as the Cisco Secure Firewall.

Example Security Technology: IPS IDS

Understanding Suricata

Suricata is an open-source network threat detection engine that offers high-performance intrusion detection and prevention capabilities. Built with speed, scalability, and robustness, Suricata analyzes network traffic and detects various threats, including malware, exploits, and suspicious activities. Its multi-threaded architecture and rule-based detection mechanism make it a formidable weapon against cyber threats.

Suricata boasts an impressive array of features that elevate its effectiveness in network security. Suricata covers various security needs, from protocol analysis and content inspection to file extraction and SSL/TLS decryption. Its extensive rule set allows for fine-grained control over network traffic, enabling tailored threat detection and prevention. Additionally, Suricata supports various output formats, making it compatible with other security tools and SIEM solutions.

Understanding SASE Cloud

Cisco SASE Cloud, short for Secure Access Service Edge Cloud, is a comprehensive networking and security platform that combines wide area networking (WAN) capabilities with robust security features. It offers a unified solution for remote access, branch connectivity, and cloud security, all delivered from the cloud. This convergence of networking and security into a single cloud-native platform allows organizations to simplify their infrastructure, reduce costs, and enhance agility.

SASE Cloud Key Points:

Enhanced Security: One of Cisco SASE Cloud’s standout features is its advanced security capabilities. By leveraging a combination of next-generation firewalls, secure web gateways, data loss prevention, and other security services, it provides comprehensive protection against cyber threats. With SASE Cloud, organizations can ensure secure access to applications and data from anywhere, anytime, without compromising security.

Scalability and Flexibility: Cisco SASE Cloud offers unmatched scalability and flexibility. As an organization grows, SASE Cloud can quickly adapt to evolving needs. Whether it’s adding new branches, onboarding remote employees, or expanding into new markets, the cloud-native architecture of SASE Cloud enables seamless scalability without the need for extensive infrastructure investments.

Simplified Management: Managing complex networking and security infrastructure can be daunting for IT teams. However, Cisco SASE Cloud simplifies this process by centralizing management and providing a single pane of glass for visibility and control. This streamlined approach allows IT teams to monitor and manage network traffic efficiently, apply security policies, and troubleshoot issues, improving operational efficiency.

Secure Access Anywhere & Anytime

Converged Networking and Security: Cisco SASE combines networking and security functions, such as secure web gateways, firewalls, and data loss prevention, into a single solution. This convergence eliminates the need for multiple standalone appliances, reducing complexity and improving operational efficiency.

Cloud-Native Architecture: Built on a cloud-native architecture, Cisco SASE leverages the scalability and flexibility of the cloud. This enables organizations to dynamically adapt to changing network demands, scale their resources as needed, and integrate new security services without significant infrastructure investments.

Enhanced User Experience and Security: With Cisco SASE, users can enjoy a seamless and secure experience regardless of location or device. Cisco SASE protects users and data from threats through its integrated security capabilities, including zero-trust network access and secure web gateways, ensuring a safe and productive digital environment.

Related: For additional pre-information, you may find the following helpful:

  1. SD WAN SASE
  2. SASE Model
  3. Zero Trust SASE
  4. SASE Solution
  5. Distributed Firewalls
  6. SASE Definition

Evolution of the Network Security

In the past, network security was typically delivered from the network using the Firewall. However, these times, network security extends well beyond just firewalling. We now have different points in the infrastructure that we can use to expand our security posture while reducing the attack surface.

You would have commonly heard of Cisco Umbrella Firewall and SASE, along with Cisco Secure Workload security, which can be used with your Cisco Secure firewall, which is still deployed at the network’s edge. Unfortunately, you can’t send everything to the SASE cloud.

You will still need an on-premise firewall, such as the Cisco Secure Firewall, that can perform standard stateful filtering, intrusion detection, and threat protection. This post will examine the Cisco Secure Firewall and its integration with Cisco Umbrella via the SASE Cloud. Firstly, let us address some basics of firewalling.

A. Redesigning Traditional Security:
Let’s examine the evolution of network security before we get into some inbound and outbound traffic use cases. Traditionally, the Firewall was placed at the network edge, acting as a control point for the network’s ingress/egress point. The Firewall was responsible for validating communications with rule sets and policies created and enforced at this single point of control to ensure that desired traffic was allowed into and out of the network and undesirable traffic was prevented. This type of design was known as the traditional perimeter approach to security.

B: Numerous Firewalling challenges:
Today, branch office locations, remote employees, and increasing use of cloud services drive more data away from the traditional “perimeter,” The cloud-first approach completely bypasses the conventional security control point.
Further, the overwhelming majority of business locations and users also require direct access to the Internet, where an increasing prevalence of cloud-based critical applications and data now lives. As a result, applications and data become further de-centralized, and networks become more diverse.

C: Conventional Appliance Sprawl:
This evolution of network architectures has dramatically increased our attack surfaces and did the job of protecting more complicated ones. So, we started to answer this challenge with point solutions. Typically, organizations have attempted to address these challenges by adding the "best" point security solution to address each new problem as it emerges. 

Because of this approach, we have seen tremendous device sprawl. Multiple security products from different vendors can pose significant management problems for network security teams, eventually leading to complexity and blind spots.

Consequently, our "traditional" firewall devices are being augmented by a mixture of physical and virtual appliances—some are embedded into the network. In contrast, others are delivered as a service, host-based, or included within public cloud environments. Regardless of the design, you will stall inbound and outbound traffic to protect.

**Basics of Firewalling**

A firewall is an entity or obstacle deployed between two structures to prevent fire from spreading from one system to another. This term has been taken into computer networking, where a firewall is a software or hardware device that enables you to filter unwanted traffic and restrict access from one network to another. The Firewall is a vital network security component in securing network infrastructure and can take many forms. For example, we can have a host-based or network-based Firewall.

Firewall types
Diagram: Firewall types. Source is IPwithease

Firewalling Types:

A. Host-based Firewall

A host-based firewall service is installed locally on a computer system. In this case, the end user’s computer system takes the final action—to permit or deny traffic. Every operating system has some Firewall. It consumes the resources of a local computer to run the firewall services, which can impact the other applications running on that particular computer. Furthermore, in a host-based firewall architecture, traffic traverses all the network components and can consume the underlying network resources until the traffic reaches its target.

B. Network-based Firewall

On the other hand, a network-based firewall can be entirely transparent to an end user and is not installed on the computer system. Typically, you deploy it in a perimeter network or at the Internet edge where you want to prevent unwanted traffic from entering your network. The end-user computer system remains unaware of any traffic control by an intermediate device performing the filtering. In a network-based firewall deployment, you do not need to install additional software or daemon on the end-user computer systems. However, it would help if you used both firewall types for a defense-in-depth approach.

The early generation of firewalls could allow or block packets only based on their static elements, such as a packet’s source address, destination address, source port, destination port, and protocol information. These elements are also known as the 5-tuple.

Example Technology Cisco Packet Filter

### Implementing Packet Filtering in Your Network

To effectively implement packet filtering, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your network architecture and traffic patterns. Begin by identifying the critical assets that need protection and the types of traffic that should be allowed. Develop a detailed access list, considering both inbound and outbound traffic.

C. Stateless Firewalling

When an early-generation firewall examined a particular packet, it was unaware of any prior packets that passed through it because it was agnostic of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) states that would have signaled this. Due to the nature of its operation, this type of Firewall is called a stateless firewall.

A stateless firewall is unable to distinguish the state of a particular packet. So, for example, it could not determine if a packet is part of an existing connection, trying to establish a legitimate new connection, or whether it is a manipulated, rogue packet. We then moved to a stateful inspection firewall and an application-aware form of next-generation firewalling.

D. Stateful Firewaling

The stateful inspection examines the TCP and UDP port numbers, while an application-aware firewall examines Layer 7. So now we are at a stage where the Firewall does some of everything, such as the Cisco Secure Firewall.

CBAC Firewall CBAC Firewall

**Firewalling Use Cases**

1.Inbound Use case

The Firewall picks up every packet, looks at different fields, examines for signatures that could signal an attack is in process, and then re-packs and sends the packet out its interfaces. Still, the technique is relevant. It tracks inbound traffic to tell if someone outside or inside is accessing the private applications you want to keep secure. So, looking at every packet is still relevant for the inbound traffic use case. 

While everything is encrypted these days, you need to decrypt traffic to gain security value. Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is still very relevant for inbound traffic. So, we will continue to decrypt inbound traffic for complete application threat protection with the hope of minimal functional impact.

Example Technology: Sensitive Data Protection with Google Cloud

Sensitive data protection

2.Outbound Use Case

Then, we need to look at outbound traffic. Here, things have changed considerably. Some users need to catch up to a firewall and then go to applications hosted outside the protection of your on-premise security stack and network. These are applications in the cloud, such as SaaS applications, that do not like when the network devices in the middle interfere with the traffic.

Therefore, applications such as Office365 make an effort with their design to reduce the chances of the potential of any network and security device from peeking into their traffic. For example, you could have mutual certificate authentication with the service in the cloud. So, there are a couple of options here besides the traditional DPI use case for inbound traffic use case.

**Improving Security: Understanding the network**

Understanding Network Scanning

Network scanning involves exploring computer networks to gather information about connected devices, open ports, and system vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity professionals gain valuable insights into the network’s architecture, potential entry points, and security risks by utilizing various scanning techniques and tools.

There are different types of network scans, each serving a specific purpose. Port scans identify open ports and services running on them, while vulnerability scans aim to pinpoint weaknesses within network devices, applications, or configurations. Additionally, network mapping scans visually represent the network’s structure, aiding in better understanding and management.

Example: Cisco Secure Firewall 3100

Cisco has the Cisco Secure Firewall 3100, a mid-range model that can be an Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) for standard stateful firewall inspection or Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) software.

So it can perform one or the other. It also has clustering, a multi-instance firewall, and high availability, which we will discuss. In addition, the Cisco Series Firewall throughput range addresses use cases from the Internet edge to the data center and private cloud.

Cisco Secure Firewall 3100 is an advanced next-generation firewall that provides comprehensive security and high performance for businesses of all sizes. Its advanced security features can protect an organization’s most critical assets, from data, applications, and users to the network infrastructure. Cisco Secure Firewall 3100 offers an integrated threat defense system that combines intrusion prevention, application control, and advanced malware protection. This firewall is designed to detect and block malicious traffic and protect your network from known and unknown threats.

Secure Firewall
Diagram: Cisco Secure Firewall. The source is Cisco.

Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firewall Threat Defense (FTD)

The platforms can be deployed in Firewall (ASA) and dedicated IPS (FTD) modes. In addition, the 3100 series supports Q-in-Q (stacked VLAN) up to two 802.1Q headers in a packet for inline sets and passive interfaces. The platform also supports FTW (fail-to-wire) network modules.

Remember that you cannot mix and match ASA and FTD modes. However, you can make FTD operate similarly to the ASA. For example, the heart of the Cisco Secure Firewall is Snort, one of the most popular open-source intrusion detection and prevention systems capable of real-time traffic inspection. 

**IPS Engine – Snort**

What’s powerful about the Cisco Secure Firewall is its high decryption performance due to the Crypto Engine. The Firewall has an architecture built around decrypting traffic and has impressive performance. In addition, you can tune your CPU cores to perform more traditional ASA functionality, such as termination IPsec and some stateful firewall inspection.

In such a scenario, we have an IPS engine ( based on Snort ) but give it only 10%. We can provide 90% of the data plane to traditional firewalling in this case. So, a VPN headend or basic stateful Firewall would use more data plane cores.

On the other hand, any heavy IPS and file inspection would be biased toward more “Snort” Cores. Snort provides the IPS engine to tailor the performance profiles to your liking. We have configurable CPU Core allocation, which can be set statically, not dynamically.

Secure Firewalling Features:

1.Secure Firewall Feature: Clustering

Your Secure Firewall deployment can also expand as your organization grows to support its network growth. You do not need to replace your existing devices for additional horsepower; you can add threat defense devices to your current deployment and group them into a single logical cluster to support additional throughput. 

A clustered logical device offers higher performance, scalability, and resiliency simultaneously. You can create a cluster between multiple chassis or numerous security modules of the same chassis. When a cluster is built with various independent chassis, it is called inter-chassis clustering.

2.Secure Firewall Feature: Multi-Instance

The Secure Firewall offers multi-instance capability powered by Docker container technology. It enables you to create and run multiple application instances using a small subset of a chassis’s hardware resources. You can independently manage the threat defense application instances as separate threat defense devices. Multi-instance capability enables you to isolate many critical elements.

3.Secure Firewall Feature: High Availability

In a high-availability architecture, one device operates actively while the other stays on standby. A standby device does not actively process traffic or security events. For example, suppose a failure is detected in the active device, or there’s any discontinuation of keepalive messages from the active device.

In that case, the standby device takes over the role of the active device and starts operating actively to maintain continuity in firewall operations. An active device periodically sends keepalive messages and replicates its configurations to a standby device. Therefore, the communication channel between the peers of a high-availability pair must be robust and with much less latency. 

Exploring SASE Cloud

One way to examine SaaS-based applications and introduce some cloud security is by using Cisco Umbrella with the SASE Cloud. The SASE Cloud can also have a cloud access security broker known as Cloudlock. The Cisco Umbrella CASB  is like a broker that hooks into the application’s backend to determine users’ actions. It does this by asking for the service via an Application Programming Interface (API) call and not by DPI.

Cisco Umbrella
Diagram: Cisco Umbrella. Source is Cisco

Cisco Cloudlock is part of the SASE cloud that provides a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that protects your cloud users, data, and apps. Cloud lock’s simple, open, and automated approach uses APIs to manage the risks in your cloud app ecosystem. With Cloudlock, you can more quickly combat data breaches while meeting compliance regulations.

Cisco Umbrella also has a firewall known as the Cisco Umbrella Firewall. We can take the Cisco Umbrella Firewall to improve its policy decision using information gleaned from the CASB. In addition, we map network flows to a specific user action via cloud applications and CASB solutions. So this is one area you can look into.

Extending the Firewall with SASE Cloud

Cisco Umbrella Firewall:

The SASE Cloud with Cisco Umbrella firewall is a good solution that can be combined with the on-premise Firewall. So, if you have FDT at the edge of your network, why would you need to introduce a Cisco Umbrella Firewall or any other SASE technologies? Or if you have a SASE cloud with a Cisco Umbrella, why would you need FDT?

First, it makes sense to process specific traffic locally. However, the two categories of traffic that Cisco Umbrella excels in beyond any firewall are DNS and CASB. Your edge firewall is less effective against some outbound traffic, such as dynamically changing DNS and undecryptable TLS connections. DNS is Cisco Umbrella’s bread and butter.

DNS Request Proceed The IP Connection

Knowledge Check: Cisco DNS-layer security.

DNS requests precede the IP connection, enabling DNS resolvers to log requested domains over any port or protocol for all network devices, office locations, and roaming users. As a result, you can monitor DNS requests and subsequent IP connections to improve the accuracy and detection of compromised systems, security visibility, and network protection. 

You can also block requests to malicious destinations before a connection is even established, thus stopping threats before they reach your network or endpoints. Cisco Umbrella under the hood can clean your DNS traffic and stop the attacks before they get to any malicious connection. 

SASE Cloud: Cisco Umbrella CASB.

Also, you can not decrypt SaaS-based applications and CASB on the edge firewall. The Firewall can’t detect if the user is carrying out any data exfiltration.

With SASE cloud, Cisco Umbrella, and its integrated CASB offering, we get better visibility in this type of traffic and apply a risk category to certain kinds of activity. So now we have an excellent combination. The cloud security stack does what it does best: processing cycles away from the Firewall.

**Cisco Umbrella Integration**

With the Cisco Secure Firewall, they have nice DNS redirection to the Cisco Umbrella Firewall. The on-premise Firewall communicates API to Cisco Umbrella and pulls in the existing DNS policy so the Umbrella DNS policies can be used with the current firewalling policies.  Recently, Cisco has gone one step further, and you can have a SIG tunnel between the Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) and the Cisco Umbrella.

So there is a tunnel and have per tunnel IKE ID and bundle multiple tunnels to Umbrella.  Now, we can have load balance across multi-spoke tunnels with per-tunnel custom IKE ID. Once set up, we can have certain kinds of traffic going down each tunnel.

**Endpoint controls**

Then, we have the endpoint, such as your desktop computer or phone. We can collect a wealth of information about each network connection. This information can be fed into the Firewall via metadata. So you can provide both the Cisco Umbrella Firewall and the Cisco Secure Firewall. Again, for improved policy.

The Firewall, either the Cisco Secure Firewall or the Cisco Umbrella Firewall, does not need to decrypt any traffic. Instead, we can get client context discovery via passive fingerprinting using an agent on the endpoint. We can get a wealth of attributes you can’t get with DPI. So we can move from DPI to everything and augment that with all other components to get better visibility.

Summary: Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations face the challenge of ensuring robust security while embracing the benefits of cloud-based solutions. Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) Cloud offers a comprehensive and streamlined approach to address these concerns. This blog post delved into the features and benefits of this powerful combination, highlighting its ability to enhance security, simplify network management, and optimize performance.

Understanding Cisco Secure Firewall

Cisco Secure Firewall serves as the first line of defense against cyber threats. Its advanced threat detection capabilities and deep visibility into network traffic provide proactive protection for organizations of all sizes. Cisco Secure Firewall ensures a secure network environment by preventing unauthorized access, blocking malicious content, or detecting and mitigating advanced threats.

Introducing SASE Cloud

On the other hand, SASE Cloud revolutionizes how organizations approach network and security services. SASE Cloud offers a scalable and agile solution by converging network functions and security services into a unified cloud-native platform. It combines features such as secure web gateways, data loss prevention, firewall-as-a-service, and more, all delivered from the cloud. This eliminates the need for costly on-premises infrastructure and allows businesses to scale their network and security requirements effortlessly.

The Power of Integration

When Cisco Secure Firewall integrates with SASE Cloud, it creates a formidable combination that enhances security posture while delivering optimal performance. The integration allows organizations to extend their security policies seamlessly across the entire network infrastructure, including remote locations and cloud environments. This unified approach ensures consistent security enforcement, reducing potential vulnerabilities and simplifying management overhead.

Simplified Network Management

One of the key advantages of Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud is its centralized management and control. Administrators can easily configure and enforce security policies, monitor network traffic, and gain valuable insights through a single glass pane of glass. This simplifies network management, reduces complexity, and enhances operational efficiency, enabling IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than mundane tasks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the combination of Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud provides organizations with a robust and scalable security solution that meets the demands of modern networks. By integrating advanced threat detection, cloud-native architecture, and centralized management, this potent duo empowers businesses to navigate the digital landscape confidently. Experience the benefits of enhanced security, simplified management, and optimized performance by adopting Cisco Secure Firewall with SASE Cloud.