Cisco Security Changes

In the Windows 7 article, we mentioned something that might stand out to readers—32- and 64-bit operating systems. The differences between the two are largely invisible to users on a day-to-day basis given that almost all commonly used office applications will run seamlessly on either platform.


64-bit Windows operating systems can make use of more memory than their 32-bit counterparts, which is a big plus for power-users who rely on memory-intensive applications like Visio or Adobe CS. Organizations whose operations are dependent on large block computations also stand to benefit from 64-bit operating systems as they are able to process calculations more efficiently.

Slowly but surely, 64-bit operating systems will ultimately displace their 32-bit cousins. It’s worth noting that 64-bit operating systems have been around since 2001, however, their widespread adoption has occurred at a glacial pace.

Well, so what?

With every new technology, there’s a “gotcha” lurking in the shadows. In the case of 64-bit operating systems, the devil is in Cisco’s firewall details. Cisco recently announced that they will not be supplying a virtual private network (VPN) client for computers using 64-bit operating systems. If you have a Cisco PIX firewall and require VPN connections but want to upgrade users to 64-bit systems, you have a decision to make.

If the decision is made to move ahead with new 64-bit systems, you will need to look into one of Cisco’s Adaptive Security Appliances. Rather than installing a slow, resource-intensive client on user’s machines, ASA 5500-series require nothing more than a Web browser. That’s it. Once the user authenticates credentials, a secure connection is established back to the home office.

"If you have a Cisco PIX firewall and require VPN connections but want to upgrade users to 64-bit systems, you have a decision to make."


Cisco ASA 5500 firewalls make for a smart upgrade on a number of fronts. For starters, the ASA 5500 is purpose-built to handle an ever-increasing landscape of threats. Malware, worms, and peer-to-peer sharing applications pose challenges that the PIX was never intended to tackle. Second, organizations are always increasing the amount of bandwidth coming into their offices. An ASA 5500 can handle up to 100Mbps download speeds, whereas the PIX is limited to 10Mbps. Lastly, the ASA 5500 marks the next step in network security. Cisco packed far more intelligence into the ASA series, which makes for a more easily managed solution capable of protecting a broader range of threats.