Standardization bodies, including the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which Cisco is a member of, is creating new protocols to thwart cyber criminals and the surveillance capabilities of security agencies. The goal is to keep cyberspace open and free.

Cisco is committed to providing safe and secure encryption solutions, and is focusing its next-generation encryption effort on Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). This provides the same level of encryption strength with shorter keys. The benefit is lower CPU consumption and low memory usage. These are two key requirements for mobile devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) such as sensors, actuators, controllers, microcomputers, and more.