Cisco Recognized by National Security Agency for Meeting Federal Security Certification and Training Standards

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 13, 2006 - Cisco Systems® announced today that it has received an award and formal certification from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) recognizing that the Cisco® CCSPTM certification meets the 4013A training standard for system administrators in federal departments and agencies. In addition, the CNSS recertified that Cisco’s security training courseware meets the 4011 training standard for information security professionals in the federal government. Cisco is the only industry vendor to provide security certification and training programs that meet the advanced 4013A training standards. The award was received June 5th at the 10th Colloquium for Information Systems Education (CISSE) in Adelphi, Md.

“We’re pleased to have Cisco’s CCSP certification and security training curricula recognized by the NSA and CNSS,” said Don Field, director of certifications at Cisco Systems. “This designation enhances our ability to provide end-to-end solutions to the U.S. government with comprehensive security products, services, and training designed to meet their needs.”

To meet the 4013A National Information Assurance Training Standard for System Administrators, individuals must pass the five exams required by the CCSP certification. Individuals then will receive certification acknowledging the candidate’s completion of the supplemental curriculum. The CCSP curriculum emphasizes secure virtual private network (VPN) management, the Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), Cisco PIX security appliances, adaptive security appliances (ASA), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), the Cisco Security Agent (CSA), and techniques to combine these technologies in an integrated network security solution.

Individuals attain the 4011 National Training Standard for Information Systems Security Professionals by passing the Cisco CCNA® and Securing Cisco Network Devices exams. Topics in the 4011 curriculum include network security basics such as threats, vulnerabilities, countermeasures, operational procedures, auditing, and monitoring.

“Cisco’s ongoing efforts to achieve compliance with a broad set of security standards reflect our drive to meet the requirements our customers demand,” said Brad Boston, chief information officer and senior vice president for Global Government Solutions Group and Corporate Security Programs. “This validation of our certification program assures our customers that we have ample, well-trained resources to manage their infrastructure, and serves as further evidence of Cisco’s leadership in delivering government information security solutions.”

Cisco is committed to partnering with the CNSS to provide comprehensive curricula that prepare individuals to secure national security systems. The robust training is designed to impart the knowledge and skills specified in the training standards of CNSS. For more information, please access the following link: www.cisco.com/go/cnss/.
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