Introduction

The frequency and complexity of network security-related incidences has increased dramatically in recent years. Additionally, network infrastructure and services have grown larger and more intricate to meet continually evolving user demands for bandwidth and functionality. As a result, managing security in enterprise environments has become a challenge for administrators in companies large and small.

To overcome security management issues, Cisco has developed several security management applications including those listed next:

• PIX Device Manager (PDM)

• CiscoWorks2000 Access Control Lists Manager (ACLM)

• Cisco Secure Policy Manager (CSPM)

• Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS)

These applications are designed to ease the burden of security management through intuitive graphical interfaces, configuration automation, report generation, and enhanced monitoring capabilities among others. Each application is suited for a different purpose, yet the combination of these tools can represent a holistic management solution in many environments.

In addition to the applications in the preceding list, administrators can also use other tools to support and configure Cisco security devices such as the convenient command-line interface (CLI) via methods including Telnet, Secure Shell (SSH), and the out-of-band console port. Additionally, Cisco security devices can also be remotely monitored using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and syslog.

This section includes a discussion regarding the applications listed earlier. For additional information regarding more basic, CLI-based management techniques, refer to Cisco documentation.

PIX Device Manager

Companies and organizations with one or two PIX firewall devices require a tool to effectively and efficiently manage the configuration and functionality of their firewalls. PDM...