The is a legacy software utility primarily used by network engineers and students to generate activation keys for the Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) 5500 series . Released originally in 2009 by the group SSG, it allows for the unlocking of premium features such as Security Plus , increased VPN tunnel capacity, and failover capabilities on older physical and virtual ASA platforms. Core Purpose and Features
: It can unlock "Active/Active" or "Active/Standby" high availability modes, which are restricted in base licenses. How the Keymaker is Used
: A device reload is required for the new feature set to take effect. Critical Considerations and Risks
: It can enable 3DES/AES encryption , which is often disabled by default due to export regulations.
While popular in lab environments like GNS3, there are significant risks and limitations associated with this tool: Cisco Presshttps://www.ciscopress.com
: Access the ASA CLI via console or SSH and run the show version command to find the 11-character serial number.
: In the ASA's global configuration mode, enter the generated string using the command: activation-key .
The process for using the SSG Keymaker typically follows these steps:
: It allows users to increase the maximum number of VLANs , AnyConnect VPN peers, and physical interfaces.
: Enter the serial number into the Keymaker interface and select the desired platform (e.g., ASA 5510, 5520, or 5540).