System information

86 Chapter 3: Defending the Perimeter
■ Advanced Integration Modules: Cisco offers a variety of Advanced Integration
Modules (AIM), which can offload processor-intensive tasks from a router’s processor.
For example, AIMs can be used for VPN processing, including a variety of standards
for encryption, authentication, and data integrity. The following are some AIM models:
— AIM-VPN/BPII-PLUS: Used in Cisco 1800 series ISRs, which can
support a single AIM
— AIM-VPN/EPII-PLUS: Used in Cisco 2800 series ISRs and the Cisco
3825 ISR, all of which can accommodate two AIMs
— AIM-VPN/HPII-PLUS: Used in the Cisco 3845 ISR, which supports
two AIMs
■ USB port: All Cisco ISRs, with the exception of the Cisco 850 ISR, include one or two
Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. These ports can be used with a USB flash drive to
store IOS images or configuration files. Also, from a security perspective, a USB
eToken containing a signed digital certification can be inserted for VPN use.
WAN connectivity network modules such as the WIC-2T, WIC-1B, and VWIC-1MFT offer
flexibility in how various ISRs connect to the WAN. Here are some examples of other
network modules supported on various ISR models:
■ Cisco HWIC-AP: An IEEE 802.11 wireless module supporting a variety of wireless
standards.
■ Cisco IDS Network Module: Includes a hard drive containing multiple signatures of
well-known attacks. Can be used to detect and subsequently prevent malicious traffic.
■ Cisco Content Engine: Includes either a 40-GB or 80-GB hard drive for caching web
content. This makes it available for quick retrieval by local clients, as opposed to the
client’s having to retrieve all the information from the web.
■ Cisco Network Analysis Module (NAM): Provides a detailed analysis of traffic flow.
Password-Protecting a Router
Administrators can access a router for administrative purposes in a variety of ways. For
example, as shown in Figure 3-2, a PC running terminal emulation software can telnet into
a router. The Telnet connection is considered to be using a vty line (a “virtual tty” line).
Alternatively, a PC using terminal emulation software can connect directly to a router’s
console (“con”) line over a serial connection. For remote administrative access, many Cisco
routers also have an auxiliary line (“aux”) that might connect to a modem.