MARS 6.0.5 Released

Release notes here: 6.0.5

Miscellaneous Changes and Enhancements

The following changes and enhancements exist in:

•FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Compliance for the MARS 110R—Some customers, especially those in the federal market, require secure appliance communications to use government approved encryption technologies and provide tamper protection. When used in conjunction with a Cisco FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified PCI card, the 6.0.5 release of the MARS software enables FIPS 140-2 Level 2 compliance.

•FIPS PCI card for the MARS 110R—To enable the FIPS 140-2 Level 2 solution, customers must order a Cisco FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified PCI card (part no. CS-MARS-FIPS-K9=) for their existing MARS 110R. The reconfigured appliance with a Cisco FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified PCI card installed is designated a MARS 110RF model. For more information on the installation of the FIPS certified PCI card, see the CS-MARS FIPS PCI CARD Quick Install document.

•Custom Login Banner Text—According to NIST appliance hardening standards, warning banners are necessary at all access points in the event an organization wishes to prosecute an unauthorized user. CS-MARS provides a customer-defined banner message facility that can provide fair warning to unauthorized users. Banner text of up to 2,000 characters can now be configured form the MARS web interface (ADMIN > System Parameters > Banner Settings). The banner text appears on the login page and as a system message when an SSH connection is made to access the CLI.