Cisco Secure Access Control Server for Windows
Cisco Secure Access Control Server product overview

Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server is a network security software application that helps to control access to the campus, dial-in access, and Internet access , . Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server operates as Windows 2000 services and controls authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) of users accessing the network.

Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server provides AAA services to network devices that function as AAA clients, such as routers, network access servers, PIX Security Appliances, or VPN 3000 Concentrators. An AAA client is any device that provides AAA client functionality and uses one of the AAA protocols supported by Cisco Secure ACS. It also supports third-party devices that can be configured with TACACS+ or RADIUS protocols. Cisco Secure ACS treats all such devices as AAA clients. Cisco Secure ACS uses the TACACS+ and RADIUS protocols to provide AAA services that ensure a secure environment.

Cisco Secure ACS helps centralize access control and accounting, in addition to router and switch access management. With Cisco Secure ACS, network administrators can quickly administer accounts and globally change levels of service offerings for entire groups of users. Although the use of an external user database is optional, support for many popular user repository implementations enables companies to use the working knowledge gained from and the investment already made in building the corporate user repositories.

Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server version 3.3 is an easy-to-use AAA server that is simple to install and administer. It runs on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating system. The Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server administration interface is viewed using supported web browsers, making it easy to administer.

Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server authenticates usernames and passwords against the Windows 2000 user database, the Cisco Secure ACS for Windows Server database, a token server database, or NDS.

Different levels of security can be used with Cisco Secure ACS for different requirements. The basic user-to-network security level is password authentication protocol (PAP). Although it does not represent the highest form of encrypted security, PAP does offer convenience and simplicity for the client. PAP allows authentication against the Windows 2000 database. With this configuration, users need to log in only once. CHAP allows a higher level of security for encrypting passwords when communicating from a client to the network access server (NAS). CHAP can be used with the Cisco Secure ACS user database .

The Cisco Secure ACS extends access security by combining authentication, user or administrator access, and policy control from a centralized identity networking solution, allowing greater flexibility and mobility, increased security, and user productivity gains. The Cisco Secure ACS reduces the administrative and management burden involved in scaling user and network administrative access to your network. By using a central database for all user accounts, the Cisco Secure ACS centralizes the control of all user privileges and distributes them to hundreds or thousands of access points throughout the network. As an accounting service, the Cisco Secure ACS reduces IT operating costs by providing detailed reporting and monitoring capabilities of network users' behavior and by keeping a record of every access connection and device configuration change across the entire network. The Cisco Secure ACS supports a wide array of access connection types, including wired and wireless LAN, dialup, broadband, content, storage, voice over IP, firewalls, and VPNs.


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