Cisco ESW-520-24 Faq page 8

© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
Security
Q.
What are the primary security mechanisms in the Cisco ESW 500 Series that protect my
voice and data network?
A.
ESW 500 switches provide several layers of security to protect your business. Embedded
encryption capabilities help ensure that all management traffic to and from the device is
protected with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. The ESW 500 Series also provides
built-in support for advanced security services. These services include IEEE 802.1X port
security, which helps ensure that only authorized users and applications can access your wired
and wireless LAN, and access control lists, which can restrict access to sensitive portions of
the network and guard against attacks by keeping unauthorized users from logging in. In
addition, MAC address notification features allow administrators to track where and when
users enter the network.
Q.
How can I keep unauthorized users from accessing my network?
A.
The Cisco ESW 500 Series supports the IEEE 802.1X standard, which works in conjunction
with a RADIUS server to authenticate users as they access the network. The 802.1X standard
is considered port-level security and is commonly used for wireless LANs. Additionally,
portions of the network can be restricted by using access control lists. Access can be
controlled based on MAC addresses, IP addresses, or TCP/User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
ports. An additional protection method is to use port security, which limits access to the port
based on MAC addresses, helping ensure that the appropriate user is on the network.
Q.
How can I protect administration passwords and traffic going to the switch during
configuration or troubleshooting?
A.
To protect administration traffic (such as passwords or device configuration settings) when
configuring or troubleshooting a switch, the best approach is to encrypt the data using Secure
Sockets Layer (SSL) or Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol.
Software
Q.
Is the Cisco ESW 500 Series based on Cisco IOS
A.
No, the internal operating system is VxWorks.
Q.
Are software updates available for the Cisco ESW 500 Series?
A.
Yes, Cisco offers ongoing software fixes for the ESW 500 Series at no additional cost as part
of the product warranty.
Q.
How do I get software updates for my Cisco ESW 500 Series Switch?
A.
Customers that own a software license for any ESW 500 Series switch may obtain a software
update at the Cisco.com website:
To download software, you will be required to log in using your Cisco.com username and
password. If you do not have a Cisco.com username, you can obtain one by clicking "Register"
at the top of any Cisco.com webpage.
®
Software?
http://www.cisco.com/go/esw500help
Q&A
(live on June 4, 2009).
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