New Cisco endpoint security strategy is a better fit for the cloud and the company Earlier this week, Cisco announced its intentions to end-of-life the Cisco Security Agent (CSA) at the end of the year. Cisco will continue to support CSA for another 3 years but it won’t enhance the product any longer. Moving forward, Cisco’s endpoint security efforts will center upon AnyConnect, an agent-based offering that unfies endpoint connectivity, TrustSec, DLP, threat defenses, and policy management. As far as pure AV protection, Cisco will recommend partner with vendors like Sophos and Trend Micro.What’s going on here? Is Cisco walking away from an entire product and market? No. In fact, ESG believes this decision demonstrated guts and vision. Cisco has never had any luck with Windows client software and that’s really what CSA is. Cisco may be saying adios to Windows but this move is right down Broadway as it aligns with Cisco’s strengths and market direction. Why? Because:1. Windows PCs are no longer the point. We all have PCs, smart phones, Macs, etc., and this list will only grow over time. I want to secure my stuff, not my Windows PC. How can you amalgamate this task? Through the network of course. This is exactly what Cisco wants to do.2. Think cloud. Yes, the cloud will provide us all with infrastructure, applications, and services, but it can also by a big honking proxy services. As we virtualize our workloads, this has to happen. Cisco gets this and is already offering cloud-based security services via IronPort and Scansafe. This is the future, not CSA.3. The definition of endpoint security has grown. When Cisco acquired Okena, endpoint security was really about malware protection. Now endpoint security extends to identity, access controls, usage policies, and data assurance. Again, most of these other functions can be managed via the network.Cisco has a fair number of CSA customers so I’m sure some folks within the company wanted to continue to invest in the product. This would have been the easy, “let’s not rock the boat” decision. Yes, this would have been the easy path but it also would have been the wrong decision. Cisco can now focus on endpoint security from a position of network/cloud strength rather than its Windows PC weakness. The market is already headed in this direction. Cisco is simply shedding some legacy baggage and positioning the company at the nexus of endpoint, network, and cloud security. This is the absolute right decision. Related content analysis 5 things security pros want from XDR platforms New research shows that while extended detection and response (XDR) remains a nebulous topic, security pros know what they want from an XDR platform. By Jon Oltsik Jul 07, 2022 3 mins Intrusion Detection Software Incident Response opinion Bye-bye best-of-breed? ESG research finds that organizations are increasingly integrating security technologies and purchasing multi-product security platforms, changing the industry in the process. By Jon Oltsik Jun 14, 2022 4 mins Security Software opinion SOC modernization: 8 key considerations Organizations need SOC transformation for security efficacy and operational efficiency. Technology vendors should come to this year’s RSA Conference with clear messages and plans, not industry hyperbole. By Jon Oltsik Apr 27, 2022 6 mins RSA Conference Security Operations Center opinion 5 ways to improve security hygiene and posture management Security professionals suggest continuous controls validation, process automation, and integrating security and IT technologies. By Jon Oltsik Apr 05, 2022 4 mins Security Practices Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe