RE: PIX Vs ASA

Joseph,

 

It's still an ASIC architecture and it claims to do application level.
Also, if you upgrade your PIX to the 7.0 code, it's the same code they
use on the ASA.  The new hardware has an option to install an IDS(IPS)
module inside and VPN (IPSec & SSL) is integrated as well.  To me, it
looks like the same appliance.  Here's some reading:

 

Cisco:  ASA 5500
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6120/products_data_sheet0900aecd80
28bbf6.html

1.      Stateful firewall layer 2-7/IPS:  

        *       application/protocol command filtering, protocol anomaly
detection, and application and protocol state tracking 
        *       attack detection and mitigation techniques such as
buffer overflow defenses, content filtering and verification, and URL
deobfuscation services. 
        *       content filtering and application QoS:  Web, FTP, email,
streaming voic/media, database and OS services, 3G Mobile Wireless
Services, P2P, Instant Messaging. 
        *       protocol anomaly detection, Layer 2 man-in-the-middle
attacks, IP frag and normalization, TCP stream reassembly and
normalization, antispoofing, deobfuscation. 

2.      Malware, spyware, adware, and Dos protection 
3.      VPN IPSec and SSL 

 

> Recently i have seen the word ASA on cisco site and even CSPFA is
replaced by Securing Networks with PIX and ASA (SNPA). I believe that
cisco has introduced a new security >platorm called ASA. Can anyone
please explain me what it is ??....whether this ASA 5500 series is going
to replace the old PIX Firewalls in future???... 

> Kindly throw some lights on the above mentioned....