Cisco Security Development Framework (CAD framework)

The Cisco Security Development Framework (CAD framework) is a DevOps automation solution designed to simplify the development of Cisco Secure Dynamic Attribute Connector (CSDAC) connectors and adapters. As organizations migrate to the cloud while maintaining backend infrastructure in data centers, secure integration between cloud applications and on-premise environments is critical.

The CAD framework provides a centralized, automated development process via a Webex chatbot. It eliminates manual effort and enables teams to build production-ready security connectors efficiently. The framework automates key aspects of development, including:

Multi-language support for Python and Go
Pre-integrated access to CSDAC libraries
Automated CI/CD pipeline setup
Pre-configured test environments
Boilerplate code generation for business logic
By reducing complexity and accelerating workflows, the CAD framework has significantly improved development efficiency and deployment speed.

Real-World Impact and Adoption
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Many large-scale enterprises rely on CSDAC-powered integrations developed using the CAD framework to securely transition to hybrid cloud environments. With organizations using hundreds of cloud applications, the framework ensures seamless security policy enforcement and integration.

Several critical security connectors have been developed and are now running in production, including:

Cybervision Connector
Bee Upstreamer
MCD Connector
ZTNA Connector
PXgrid Connector
ISE Connector
APIC Connector
These connectors have strengthened security policies, automated access control, and improved threat visibility.

Demonstrating DevOps Excellence
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This team has demonstrated innovation by:

- Automating DevOps workflows with Webex bot integrations for PR status, merge tracking, and release visibility.
- Developing zero-code connector creation, allowing automated generation from external URLs.
- Exploring Kubernetes-based sandbox environments for on-demand security testing.

Business and Organizational Impact
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The CAD framework has played a key role in securing enterprise cloud adoption, accelerating time-to-market for security integrations, and eliminating development bottlenecks. Its impact on security automation makes this team a strong contender for the Titan Award in DevOps Technology.