Campus Networks Get Boost from Cisco's AI-Powered Security Tools

Campus networks face a daunting challenge: keeping up with security threats that move at machine speed. In today's world, attackers use AI-assisted tooling to find and exploit vulnerabilities faster than traditional infrastructure can handle.

The problem is no longer just about remediation speed, but also about reducing exposure immediately while preserving uptime. To address this, Cisco has introduced Live Protect and Extended Fast Software Upgrade (xFSU).

Live Protect is a targeted runtime capability that can help reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities without rebooting the network. It works by identifying exposure, deploying a validated vulnerability shield, monitoring its effectiveness, enforcing it when necessary, and then disabling or retiring it once the permanent software fix is applied.

xFSU, on the other hand, solves a different operational problem: making software image upgrades easier to deploy without disrupting traffic. By separating the control plane and data plane during the upgrade process, xFSU reduces downtime from minutes to seconds in some cases.