Cisco/Duo & Strikeforce...what we've learned so fa

Cisco/Duo & Strikeforce...what we've learned so far

Cisco drops a cool $2.3 billion on SaaSy outfit Duo Security
Switchzilla slurps trusted access into cloud to make it rain
By John Leyden 2 Aug 2018 at 15:51 3 Reg comments SHARE ▼
Cisco has announced plans to buy privately held authentication firm Duo Security for $2.35bn (£1.80bn).

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The Michigan firm markets unified access security and multi-factor authentication delivered through the cloud. The technology is designed to verify the identity of users and the cyber hygiene of their devices before granting them access to applications.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay $2.35bn in cash and assumed equity awards for Duo Security’s outstanding stocks and shares.

Switchzilla plans to integrate Cisco's network, device and cloud security platforms with Duo Security's zero-trust authentication and access products to bolster application and network security. This integration will "enable our customers to address the complexity and challenges that stem from multi-and hybrid-cloud environments," according to David Goeckeler, executive vice president and general manager of Cisco's networking and security business.

Cisco already provides on-premises network access control via its Identity Services Engine (ISE) product. Duo's software as a service-based (SaaS) model will be integrated with Cisco ISE to extend ISE to provide cloud-delivered application access control.

In addition, Duo's tech will add trusted identity awareness into Cisco's Secure Internet Gateway, Cloud Access Security Broker, Enterprise Mobility Management, and several other cloud-delivered products.

This is about security for multi-cloud environments that goes beyond your brother's BYOD. It's about securing access for "all users, with any device, connecting to any application, on any network" - it's trying to be the Martini Rosso of network security tech.1

The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. Duo Security, which will continue to be led by Dug Song, will join Cisco's networking and security business led by EVP and GM Goeckeler.

Cisco is, of course, no stranger to security acquisitions. Previous borg buys have included OpenDNS (June 2015) and Sourcefire (July 2013), among several others. ®

We know that Cisco and McAfee/Strikeforce work together ...

How the Cisco ISE and McAfee ePO ( McAfee partners with Strikeforce to use their technology as part of the ePO ) with integration works
This solution is composed of Cisco ISE
running pxGrid context exchange and Cisco
Rapid Threat Containment (RTC) capabilities ,
an ISE Plus or Advanced Feature license,
and McAfee ePO .
• pxGrid and DXL share ISE and ePO context,
as well as information about the threat
response actions each has taken.
• Cisco ISE provides its network user and
device session inventory over Open DXL
to ePO. ePO matches this information to
devices it has under management.
• Cisco ISE detects if an endpoint has McAfee
ePO installed. ISE can differentiate the
network access privilege of the endpoint
based on whether ePO is installed or not.
• ePO informs ISE when it has taken an
endpoint remediation action in response
to a security threat. ISE may then make an
appropriate network access threat response
using its Rapid Threat Containment function.
• ISE informs ePO when it has responded to
a security threat. ePO may then make an
appropriate endpoint threat response.

So Cisco & Strikeforce both have critical partnerships with McAfee

Then we found out that Cisco & Strikeforce are both represented by Ropes & Gray. Notice Scott Mckeon represented Cisco for a settlement victory :

SCOTT A. MCKEOWN
PARTNER
Scott McKeown is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s intellectual property litigation practice and chair of the firm’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) group. He focuses his practice on post-grant patent counseling and litigation matters at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and related appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit .

Cisco Systems Inc. v. RPX Clearinghouse (IPR2014-01220) – Settled , post-institution on behalf of Cisco .

Now if you go to Ropes & Gray's website you'll find that the most prominent attorney from Ropes & Gray that is representing SFOR works in the SAME GROUP as Scott McKeown: DOUGLAS HALLWARD-DRIEMEIER .

https://www.ropesgray.com/en/utility/search-r...e&os=0

This is an unbelievable development for Strikeforce .