Cisco ASA 5550 end of life
ASA 5500 · also known as ASA5550, 5550
Status
Checked 30 Sep 2026ASA 5550 no longer receives security fixes. If it's still running your office firewall, plan a replacement now.
- 1End of sale 16 Sep 2013 (13 years ago)
- 2Last date of support 30 Sep 2018 (8 years ago)
Key dates
Every date links to Cisco's own page| Milestone | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| End of sale | 16 Sep 201313 years ago | Vendor bulletin ↗ |
| End of software maintenance | Not announced | – |
| End of vulnerability support | Not announced | – |
| Last date of support | 30 Sep 20188 years ago | Vendor bulletin ↗ |
Bulletin covers the 5550 individually.
What this means for your business
- No new security patches: newly found vulnerabilities stay open on an internet-facing device.
- Cyber insurance questionnaires increasingly ask whether any equipment is unsupported or past end of life.
- No vendor support for faults, so a failure can mean days without a working firewall.
- This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Replacement options
Cisco's named successor: ASA 5555-X (ASA 5500-X Series) (source).
Vendor-neutral options to consider:
- Fortinet FortiGate (entry range)
- Ubiquiti UniFi Cloud Gateway
- MikroTik RouterOS appliances
The right replacement depends on your sites, users and licensing, and is often cheaper than a like-for-like swap.
Keep or replace? Quick checklist
- Is it your internet-facing firewall?
- Do you have remote staff connecting through it?
- Is your cyber insurance renewal in the next 6 months?
- Do you store client or financial data behind it?
- Is it running old firmware, or does it have no active vendor licence?
Two or more “yes” answers on an unsupported or soon-to-be-unsupported device is a good reason to get advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ASA 5550 still safe to use?
Not for a business network. Cisco no longer issues security fixes for the ASA 5550, so new vulnerabilities will not be patched.
What replaced the ASA 5550?
Cisco's own bulletin names the ASA 5555-X (ASA 5500-X Series) as the replacement. The right choice still depends on your sites, users and licensing.
Where do these dates come from?
From Cisco's own lifecycle bulletins. Each date in the table links to its source, with the date we last checked it. Always confirm with Cisco before making decisions.