A recent technical paper from Cisco explains for network technicians how to secure wiring closets using the company's ubiquitous Catalyst switches.

As enterprises continue to rapidly deploy more applications on their IP network to gain the efficiencies of a single, converged network, the demands on the network -- and in the wiring closet itself -- intensify. Deploying comprehensive network security in the wiring closet is critical to the resiliency of the entire LAN, notes the guide.

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Moreover, the paper presents the wiring closet switching infrastructure as the first line of defense for campus networks to protect an organization's data, applications, and the network itself -- and that the features that enable this defense are a critical part of the entire enterprise.

Tables in the white paper list the security features that are supported on specific Cisco Catalyst switch platforms.

Read and download the full white paper here.