Cisco® NAC Release 4.7 brings two new milestones to the Cisco NAC product family: Federal Information Processing Standard Level 2 (FIPS 140-2) certification and a new hardware platform that provides more capabilities and support.
FIPS Certification
FIPS 140 is a set of U.S. government standards for the deployment of computing infrastructures that involve security functions. FIPS 140 defines several security levels; each with its own set of security requirements. The FIPS 140-2 standard specifies the security requirements on a cryptographic module utilized within a security system that protects sensitive information.
FIPS 140-2 certification affirms that Cisco NAC solutions are effective for customers with highly secure environments. The certification can also help federal government customers meet regulations and executive directives, such as the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and the Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7.
Cisco NAC has already received EAL2 Common Criteria certification. FIPS 140-2 certification further demonstrates Cisco's commitment to meet high industry standards.
New Hardware Platform Support
Starting with Release 4.7, Cisco NAC will be delivered on a new hardware platform based on Intel's Xeon Core 2 Quad and Nehalem processors. Three platforms are available to address different deployment scenarios.
The small platform has a Quad-core Intel Xeon-based (Core 2 Quad) processor with 4 GB of RAM. This server can be used as a "manager lite" (to manage up to three servers) or as a server that can support from 100 to 500 users.
The medium-sized platform has a Quad-core Intel Xeon-based (Nehalem) processor with 6 GB of RAM. This server can be used as a standard manager (to manage up to 20 servers) or as a server that can support from 1500 to 5000 users.
The large platform has a Dual Quad-core Intel Xeon-based (Nehalem) processor with 8 GB of RAM. This server can be used as a super manager (to manage up to 40 servers).
Resources and Documentation
Cisco NAC Release 4.7 software download:
Release notes for Cisco NAC Version 4.7:
Cisco NAC 4.7 Hardware Installation Guide:
Cisco NAC Manager and Cisco NAC Server configuration guides:
Summary
Cisco NAC Release 4.7 signals a new level of Cisco NAC product family maturity and excellence. With its FIPS 140-2 certification and new hardware platform support, Release 4.7 delivers additional confidence and capabilities for customers.
For more information about Cisco NAC solutions, please visit http://www.cisco.com/go/nac.