Cisco Systems, Inc.: Difference between revisions
→Consumer-impact summary: Added information about supplying equipment for Chinese state censorship |
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{{CompanyCargo | |||
| | |Description=American tech company known for manufacturing networking software and hardware. | ||
| Founded =December 10, 1984 | |Founded=December 10, 1984 | ||
| Industry = | |Industry=Computing, Information Technology | ||
|Logo=Cisco logo blue 2016.png | |||
|ParentCompany= | |||
| Logo =Cisco logo blue 2016. | |Type=Public | ||
}}'''[[wikipedia:Cisco|Cisco Systems, Inc.]]''' is an American multinational | |Website=https://www.cisco.com/ | ||
}} | |||
'''[[wikipedia:Cisco|Cisco Systems, Inc.]]''' is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment and other high-technology services and products.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=FORM 10-K |url=https://pdf.secdatabase.com/419/0001193125-12-388590.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708182452/http://pdf.secdatabase.com/419/0001193125-12-388590.pdf |archive-date=8 Jul 2025}}</ref> | |||
Cisco's founders were crucial to many of modern day implementations and protocols of Local Area Network systems we have today. | Cisco's founders were crucial to many of modern day implementations and protocols of Local Area Network systems we have today. | ||
==Consumer | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
===Company Issues=== | |||
====Business model==== | |||
Meraki is a cloud managed IT infrastructure division of Cisco acquired in 2012. Cisco Meraki devices include network firewalls, switching, wireless access points and security cameras all managed from their online web portal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2012 |title=Cisco Acquires Enterprise Wi-Fi Startup Meraki For $1.2 Billion In Cash |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/cisco-acquires-enterprise-wi-fi-startup-meraki-for-1-2-billion-in-cash/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref> | =====Cisco Meraki===== | ||
Meraki is a cloud managed IT infrastructure division of Cisco acquired in 2012. Cisco Meraki devices include network firewalls, switching, wireless access points and security cameras all managed from their online web portal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Constine |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2012 |title=Cisco Acquires Enterprise Wi-Fi Startup Meraki For $1.2 Billion In Cash |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/cisco-acquires-enterprise-wi-fi-startup-meraki-for-1-2-billion-in-cash/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=TechCrunch |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250709084717/https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/18/cisco-acquires-enterprise-wi-fi-startup-meraki-for-1-2-billion-in-cash/ |archive-date=9 Jul 2025}}</ref> | |||
All Cisco Meraki devices require paid licensing to work and are very strict if this becomes out of compliance. Failure to obtain proper licensing will not only remove your access from configuring your equipment in the portal, it will cease all internet traffic from moving on previously working devices. | All Cisco Meraki devices require paid licensing to work and are very strict if this becomes out of compliance. Failure to obtain proper licensing will not only remove your access from configuring your equipment in the portal, it will cease all internet traffic from moving on previously working devices. | ||
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"What happens when I reach my co-termination date? | "What happens when I reach my co-termination date? | ||
Immediately after reaching your co-termination date, you will receive a 30-day grace period ... If you chose not to renew before the end of the 30-day grace period, the organization will be "shut down"(License Problem - Out of Compliance). You will no longer be able to manage your devices via the Meraki cloud and your Meraki network devices will cease to function. This means that you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network equipment, and your Meraki network products will no longer allow traffic to pass to the Internet."<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Jan 2025 |title=Meraki Licensing FAQs |url=https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Meraki_Licensing_FAQs |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=Meraki}}</ref> | Immediately after reaching your co-termination date, you will receive a 30-day grace period ... If you chose not to renew before the end of the 30-day grace period, the organization will be "shut down"(License Problem - Out of Compliance). You will no longer be able to manage your devices via the Meraki cloud and your Meraki network devices will cease to function. This means that you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network equipment, and your Meraki network products will no longer allow traffic to pass to the Internet."<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Jan 2025 |title=Meraki Licensing FAQs |url=https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Meraki_Licensing_FAQs |url-status=live |access-date=9 Apr 2025 |website=Meraki |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250823014551/https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Meraki_Licensing_FAQs |archive-date=23 Aug 2025}}</ref> | ||
==== Complicit in implementing state-operated internet censorship in the People's Republic of China ==== | ====Complicit in implementing state-operated internet censorship in the People's Republic of China==== | ||
According to internal PowerPoint presentations from 2002 that surfaced online, Cisco systems knowingly supplied hardware used in China's ''Golden Shield'' project, informally known as The Great Firewall of China. This is the infrastructure used by the CCP to heavily censor the internet in China for its citizens and to block access to independent information.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bort |first=Julie |date=2011-05-23 |title=Cisco sued over its alleged part in Great Chinese Firewall scandal |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/753194/cisco-subnet-cisco-sued-over-its-alleged-part-in-great-chinese-firewall-scandal.html |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Networkworld}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |url= | According to internal PowerPoint presentations from 2002 that surfaced online, Cisco systems knowingly supplied hardware used in China's ''Golden Shield'' project, informally known as The Great Firewall of China. This is the infrastructure used by the CCP to heavily censor the internet in China for its citizens and to block access to independent information.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bort |first=Julie |date=2011-05-23 |title=Cisco sued over its alleged part in Great Chinese Firewall scandal |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/753194/cisco-subnet-cisco-sued-over-its-alleged-part-in-great-chinese-firewall-scandal.html |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=Networkworld |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250820125115/https://www.networkworld.com/article/753194/cisco-subnet-cisco-sued-over-its-alleged-part-in-great-chinese-firewall-scandal.html |archive-date=20 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Broache |first=Anne |date=2008-05-20 |title=Senators weigh new laws over China online censorship |url=https://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9948331-7.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907214313/https://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9948331-7.html |archive-date=2008-09-07}}</ref><!-- The CNet article is down, archive.org only archived a 404 page, but this article from a well-known German tech news website links to it: | ||
https://www.golem.de/0805/59861-3.html | https://www.golem.de/0805/59861-3.html | ||
It would be good to find it archived somewhere since CNet is probably considered more reputable than Networkworld. Or we could maybe link to a Google Translate link for the Golem article. --> | It would be good to find it archived somewhere since CNet is probably considered more reputable than Networkworld. Or we could maybe link to a Google Translate link for the Golem article. --> | ||
====Removing access to critical downloads for products that are end-of-support==== | |||
[[File:Cisco Security removes everything for discontinued products.png|thumb|Cisco's Retired Products page with a note explaining that they purposely remove documentation, downloads and product pages from the Cisco.com website "for security purposes"]] | |||
Cisco removes all downloads for products that are past their end-of-support date, making it impossible to obtain software or firmware from official sources for your Cisco product. Cisco claims "'''Note:''' For security purposes, upon retirement of a product, Cisco Systems purposely removes documentation, downloads, and product pages from the Cisco.com website, though you may be able to obtain peer support in the Cisco Community."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Retired Products |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222210213/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/security/retired.html |archive-date=2026-02-22 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref> This is considered to be [[security through obscurity]]. If you, a consumer, have obtained obsolete Cisco hardware and wish to utilize it in a working environment, Cisco has deliberately made it harder to update your device to shield against security issues, or add features. | |||
====Requiring a service contract to download firmware for products that are in-support==== | |||
[[File:Cisco forcing service contract for file access.png|thumb|A Cisco download page showing the text "'''Log In and Service Contract Required".''']] | |||
Some Cisco products such as the [https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html Cisco ISR 1000 series] require an active service contract from Cisco to download any files such as firmware, software, patches, etc. This makes updating devices to their latest respective versions increasingly harder, as you are [[Forced account|required to sign in]] to an account and pay a subscription fee just to update components of the device that you already own. "To Download this software, you must have a valid service contract associated to your Cisco.com profile"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers download page showing "Service Contract Required" |url=https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250831232702/https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/1000-series-integrated-services-routers-isr/series.html#~tab-downloads |archive-date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-25 |website=Cisco Product Support}}</ref> | |||
====Withholding bug details from customers without a service contract==== | |||
Cisco hides bug details, most importantly the resolution/workaround of a bug from non-paying customers. You are required to log into a Cisco account to view bug details, and even then you are only permitted to view 200 bugs a month without paying for a service contract.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-25 |title=Cisco Bug Search Tool |url=https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225021043/https://bst.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvu61065 |archive-date=2026-02-25 |access-date=2026-02-25}}</ref> | |||
"Bug information is viewable for customers and partners who have a service contract. Registered users can view up to 200 bugs per month without a service contract." | |||
====Requires employees to sign perpetual forced arbitration agreements when hired, preventing current or former employees from ever suing the company.{{Citation needed}}==== | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||