Cisco Systems Inc has launched what it calls the industry’s first enterprise-wide security initiative. It says the Enterprise Security Initiative, which will roll out in several phases during the next 18 months, will provide a multi-technology framework that enables centralized administration and dynamic links between customer security policy, user or host identity and network infrastructures. The initiative framework comprises three basic principles for designing network security solutions: identity, integrity and active audit. Identity refers to dynamic linkage of user authentication, authorization and location in the enterprise. Integrity provides cross-product line uniformity for physical and configuration security and Active Audit will enable network managers to ensure that the policy is both consistent and operating correctly. It will detect network anomalies, misuse and attacks. So far Microsoft Corp and Verisgn Inc have joined the initiative. Microsoft says that its road map for network security will develop a common specification working with technologies such as IPsec and digital certificates.
