The Cisco AI Assistant for Security is a context-based AI tool designed to assist firewall administrators in managing complex firewall rules more efficiently. It leverages advanced natural language processing and machine learning to provide quick answers to configuration queries, troubleshoot issues, and optimize firewall rulesets. This tool aims to simplify firewall management, allowing admins to resolve change tickets in minutes rather than hours.

The AI Assistant improves firewall management by addressing common challenges faced by administrators, such as checking configuration details, troubleshooting issues, and optimizing rulesets. For instance, it can quickly identify existing policies for applications, recommend new rules, and detect issues like engine restarts, suggesting proactive resolutions. This capability can save organizations significant time and costs, with one customer estimating a potential savings of over $971,000 through automated optimization.

The Cisco AI Assistant for Security is set to be generally available for firewall customers in the Spring of 2024. It will be accessible at no additional cost through the cloud-delivered Firewall Management Center, with plans to expand its capabilities to other management tools in the future.