The past year has been an exciting one for Cisco. We've made significant advancements across the board, including leading initiatives that support the expansion of the Internet of Everything. However, we know that with these new opportunities come new challenges, and we believe security needs to be as pervasive as the IoE itself. That's why in 2015 we expanded our focus to support security everywhere that threats might manifest themselves. We continued to invest in taking security beyond the traditional network perimeter to include data centers, branch offices, endpoints, applications, mobile devices and cloud. In 2015, we announced new security offerings to help organizations of all sizes. We expanded our portfolio with new solutions such as Network as a Sensor and Enforcer, new services such as the Threat Awareness Service, and by announcing several strategic acquisitions, welcoming OpenDNS, Portcullis, and Lancope to the Cisco family. Our increased commitment to security can also be seen in the numerous discoveries by our threat intelligence team, Talos. We made significant contributions such as creati ng decryption tools for new variants of ransomware and helping to cripple a massive international exploit campaign, which was making $60 million annually in ransomware alone. Here were some of our biggest security highlights from 2015: Security Everywhere This year we announced security everywhere, which extends security beyond the traditional network perimeter, to include data centers, branch offices, endpoints, applications, mobile devices and cloud. We added new features and made changes to our solutions to offer a more integrated security architecture. We launched Network as a Sensor and Enforcer, which allows organizations to increase threat visibility of suspicious traffic flows and enforce security policies to contain any threats faster. We also introduced a new solution for small and midsize organizations and continued to extend our advanced malware protection (AMP) everywhere. Security Everywhere Across the Extended Network Extending Security Everywhere Cisco Acquires OpenDNS In August, Cisco completed the acquisition of OpenDNS, a company which offers advanced threat protection or any device, anywhere, anytime , in a cloud-delivered model. The acquisition builds on Cisco’s Security Everywhere strategy, adding broad visibility and threat intelligence. The first API integration with other Cisco solutions was announced on the day of the completion of the acquisition, between the OpenDNS umbrella and Cisco AMP Threat Grid . Cisco Announces Intent to Acquire OpenDNS Cisco Completes the Acquisition of OpenDNS OpenDNS Introduces IP-Layer Enforcement for Umbrella Talos Threat Spotlight: Ransomware Several threat actors are competing for a piece of the pie in the lucrative ransomware black market. Talos analyzed the rise of Cryptowall, after Cryptolocker was taken down, and the new features available in Cryptowall 3.0 . Talos also described TeslaCrypt, a new variant of ransomware, which seems to have been inspired by Cryptolocker. Talos was able to develop a tool to decrypt files that have been encrypted by this particular variant of ransomware. Cryptowall 3.0: Back to the Basics Threat Spotlight: TeslaCrypt – Decrypt It Yourself Talos Threat Spotlight: Domain shadowing and Angler Domain shadowing, a technique that exploits genuine domains to spread malware, was one of the areas that Talos researchers extensively monitored in 2015, with Angler being considered the best exploit kit in the market. Talos identified and helped damage a massive international Angler exploit kit campaign that was generating $60 million a year from ransomware alone. The campaign used hijacked registrant accounts to create several subdomains to serve malicious content. Threat Spotlight: Angler Lurking in the Domain Shadows Threat Spotlight: Cisco Talos Thwarts Access to Massive International Exploit Kit Generating $60M Annually from Ransomware Alone Cisco Announces Intent to Acquire Lancope In October, we announced our intent to acquire Lancope, a company that provides network behavior analytics, threat visibility and security intelligence and that has already been a part of Cisco’s security solutions for many years through a commercial relationship agreement. The acquisition complements other solutions such as OpenDNS, Portcullis and Neophasis in our plan to extend security everywhere. Acquisition of Lancope to Boost Cisco’s Cybersecurity Threat Defense Capabilities Cisco Completes Acquisition of Lancope ... View more

Are you passionate about security technology? Are you interested in connecting with a global network of people like you? If so, you could be a good candidate to join the all-new Cisco Champions for Security group. Cisco Champions are a group of individuals from around the world who enjoy connecting with each other and sharing their knowledge with the larger community. Cisco Champions make a difference by: Supporting their peers in social communities, forums, and networks Sharing their relevant experiences and thoughts on Cisco blogs Providing valuable feedback directly to Cisco And more Cisco Champions have a unique opportunity to contribute to and enhance the way people use the latest technologies. They also receive: Invitations to exclusive events Opportunities to communicate with Cisco employees Recognition for their contributions I’m happy to announce the call for nominations for the all-new Cisco Champions for Security. From now until October 31, 2014, you can nominate yourself, a friend, or mentor for inclusion in this program. See our announcement post in the Cisco Champions Community and submit your application here. Be sure to mention “Security” in your nomination. All Cisco Champions for Security will be selected and alerted no later than November 25, 2014. Have questions about the Cisco Champions Program? Check out our FAQ or contact us. ... View more