Using the Cisco Secure Policy Manager

Even though there is a huge push for ease of use technology, such as Web-based interfaces like IDM, CSPM is still the prominent application in the industry for administrators tasked with managing Cisco IDS sensors. This section will take you through the installation of CSPM, configuration, and management.

For most administrators, CSPM is what we look for in an administration tool, a Windows-based product designed specifically to manage security policies not only for sensors but also for the PIX firewall, IOS routers, and VPN software. The focus here is strictly on managing the sensors. CSPM allows us to manage multiple sensors from a single location without having to perform any administration at the devices themselves.