AnyConnect 3.0 for Android Product Announcement

Following up on my last note about BYOD at Cisco, I wanted to update you on the latest numbers here at Cisco. As Sheila Jordan had pointed out here, we have surpassed the 20% tablet penetration among our workforce and mobile devices continue to grow at a rate of 1,000 each month. I highly recommend you doing a quick read on her six steps of approaching device deluge. Meanwhile, the latest IDC report (Aug 8, 2012) reaffirms the 2-horse race in the smartphone world. Android and iOS powered 85% of all smartphones shipped in the second quarter of 2012 (2Q2012).

Maintaining our market leadership in supporting the broadest set of Operating Systems (desktop and mobile) and Web Browsers, Cisco Security is excited to announce the availability of AnyConnect 3.0 for Android (Download here). As in the past, we have worked with the market leading Android device makers along with supporting the Android VPN Framework (AVF) to ensure the latest AnyConnect functionality. These new features are now available on any Android device running on version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher (including Jelly Bean).

SOME KEY FEATURES OF ANYCONNECT 3.0 FOR ANDROID:

Intel Android (IA): The Android VPN Framework (AVF) image is now compatible with x86 Intel Android devices.

IPsec IKEv2: AnyConnect users can connect via IPsec IKEv2 connections to their corporate Cisco ASA in addition to SSL (TLS or DTLS). (Requires ASA 9.0+)

Suite B Cryptography: AnyConnect users who need NSA’s recommended Suite B Cryptography will be now able to do so from their mobile devices. (Requires ASA 9.0 and AnyConnect Premium Licenses.)

Untrusted Certificate Warnings: Reduces Man-in-the-Middle attack risk by rejecting untrusted certificates by default and requiring end-users to acknowledge risks before connecting to a gateway with an untrusted certificate.

SCEP Proxy: AnyConnect users can enroll their mobile device with an internal Certificate Authority (CA) Server, using SCEP without opening up the CA Server directly to external threats. (To embed the identity of the mobile endpoint in the certificate request, Mobile Host Scan must be utilized, which is an AnyConnect Premium License feature).

FIPS 140-2 Compliant: AnyConnect users now have access to the latest FIPS 140-2 cryptographic compliant module to meet industry compliance/mandates.

For Amazon Kindle customers, more specifically for the Amazon Kindle Fire HDs and “new” Kindle Fires, you can obtain AnyConnect directly from the Amazon Appstore by searching for “AnyConnect”or click here .

Likewise for iOS, we will soon support many of these same features on Apple iOS, including the iPhone 5 and Apple iOS 6.

And lastly, for this blog’s ‘Did U Know Data for Mobile Security’ series, I thought the following information from Gartner’s recent press release announcing their IT Symposium/IT Expo (10.25.2012) was very interesting. “Over the next five years, 65 percent of enterprises will adopt a mobile device management (MDM) solution for their corporate liable users, according to Gartner, Inc. With the increased functionality of smartphones, and the increasing popularity of tablets, much of the network traffic and corporate data that was once the primary domain of enterprise PCs is now being shifted to mobile devices.”