The official Rapid Pulse IT page to download Cisco AnyConnect for Windows — also known as Cisco Secure Client. Download Cisco Secure Client, install, and connect in under 5 minutes. macOS and mobile coming soon. If you get stuck, our IT support team is on call 24/7.
Same product, new name
In 2022 Cisco rebranded Cisco AnyConnect (sometimes written as Cisco Any Connect) as Cisco Secure Client. It's the same enterprise VPN you've used for years — just a new name with optional security modules bundled into a single client. If you're searching for how to download Cisco AnyConnect, download Cisco Secure Client, or just "Cisco Any Connect" — you're in the right place. Rapid Pulse IT deploys and manages Cisco AnyConnect as part of our managed IT services.
Just the name and the bundle. The VPN engine, configuration files (.xml profiles), and user experience are the same. If you have an older Cisco AnyConnect installation, it will auto-upgrade to Cisco Secure Client on its next update.
The legacy name. You'll still see this in URLs, forums, and older corporate documentation. The Cisco AnyConnect installer for Windows still works — it just auto-upgrades.
The current branding. This is what you'll see in the installer, the Cisco download portal, and on the App Store when you search for Cisco AnyConnect.
Before you install
Cisco Secure Client 5.x (and Cisco AnyConnect 4.x) supports current and recent versions of all major operating systems. If your device is older, contact IT before you download Cisco AnyConnect for Windows.
| Platform | Supported versions | Architecture | Disk / RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 (1809+), Windows 11 | x64, ARM64 | 250 MB / 512 MB |
| macOS | macOS 11 (Big Sur) and later | Intel + Apple Silicon | 200 MB / 512 MB |
| Linux | Red Hat 8/9, Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 | x86_64 | 200 MB / 512 MB |
| iOS / iPadOS | iOS 15 and later | — | ~80 MB |
| Android | Android 10 and later | ARM, ARM64 | ~50 MB |
Download Cisco AnyConnect
Choose your platform below to download Cisco AnyConnect for Windows. The Windows installer for Cisco Secure Client is the only version currently hosted by Rapid Pulse IT — macOS, Android, and iOS are coming soon. To download Cisco Secure Client for an unsupported platform, contact our IT support team for early access.
Follow these three steps to download Cisco AnyConnect (now Cisco Secure Client) and connect securely.
The button is in the Windows download card below — clicking it starts the Cisco Secure Client download immediately.
Once you download Cisco AnyConnect (cisco-secure-client-win.msi), right-click the file and choose Run as Administrator.
After install, launch Cisco Secure Client, enter your company VPN portal, and sign in. You only need to download Cisco AnyConnect once per device.
Download Cisco AnyConnect for Windows below, then run as Administrator. This is the latest Cisco Secure Client 5.0 release.
Download Cisco Secure Client 5.0For older Windows systems or where Cisco Secure Client 5.0 isn't compatible. Smaller file, same VPN engine.
Download AnyConnect 4.6The macOS installer is not yet available. Contact IT for an early access build.
The Android installer is not yet available. Contact IT for further guidance.
IT Administrators: Place installers in the /downloads/ directory on your web server. File names must match exactly: cisco-secure-client-win-5.0.05040-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.msi (recommended), anyconnect-win-4.6.03049-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.exe (legacy). See downloads/README.txt.
What's bundled
When you download Cisco AnyConnect today, you actually download Cisco Secure Client — a unified agent with VPN at its core and optional security modules your IT team enables based on your role. We tune which modules are deployed as part of our cybersecurity services.
The classic SSL/TLS VPN tunnel. Connects you to the corporate network with full or split tunnelling, certificate or password auth, and MFA.
Application-level access without a full VPN tunnel. Each app gets its own micro-tunnel — faster, more granular, and lower latency.
DNS-layer protection that blocks malicious domains and phishing — even when you're not on the VPN tunnel.
Telemetry for security teams — flows, processes, and endpoint context. Read-only; doesn't affect connectivity.
Checks your device for OS patches, antivirus status, and disk encryption before allowing the VPN tunnel to establish.
Lets IT push profile and module updates from the cloud — no need to redeploy installers when configuration changes.
By platform
Cisco Secure Client feature support varies slightly per platform. Use this table to check what's available on your device before you download Cisco AnyConnect.
| Feature | Windows | macOS | Linux | iOS / Android |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco AnyConnect VPN tunnel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SAML SSO sign-in | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Always-on VPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Network Visibility (NVM) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Posture / HostScan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Biometric reconnect | Hello | Touch ID | ✗ | Face/Touch |
First time?
Click Download Cisco Secure Client 5.0 above (the recommended version). Right-click the downloaded .msi file and choose Run as Administrator. If you're on Windows 7 or 8, use the legacy AnyConnect 4.6 .exe download instead.
After installation, find the Cisco Secure Client icon in the bottom-right taskbar. Click it to open the client.
Type the VPN portal address provided by IT during onboarding.
Use your company email and password. Complete MFA if prompted. The icon turns blue when you're connected.
Download cisco-secure-client-macos.dmg, open it, and run the .pkg installer inside.
macOS will ask you to approve a system extension from Cisco. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Allow.
Click the Cisco Secure Client icon in the menu bar, enter your company portal address, and sign in with your corporate credentials.
Android: Download the APK from this page.
iOS: Install Cisco Secure Client from the App Store.
When prompted, allow Cisco Secure Client to add a VPN profile to your device.
Tap Connect, enter your company portal address, and sign in with your credentials.
Sign-in
Cisco Secure Client supports every modern authentication standard. Your IT team configures which methods are required when you connect with Cisco AnyConnect.
Stay current
Cisco Secure Client checks for updates each time you connect. If you're on an outdated Cisco AnyConnect build, here's how to refresh.
When connected to your corporate VPN, the client automatically downloads and prompts to install any pushed updates.
If the auto-update fails or you want to upgrade before connecting, just download Cisco AnyConnect again:
Old Cisco AnyConnect 4.x to Cisco Secure Client 5.x:
Find your installed Cisco AnyConnect / Secure Client version:
Removal guide
Switching devices or troubleshooting a broken install? Here's how to fully remove Cisco AnyConnect from Windows.
Right-click the Cisco Secure Client icon in your system tray and choose Disconnect. Then quit the application completely.
Press Win + I, go to Apps → Installed apps, and search for Cisco Secure Client (or Cisco AnyConnect on older installs).
Click the three dots next to each Cisco entry and choose Uninstall. Repeat for every Cisco component — VPN, Diagnostic, Umbrella, NVM, etc.
The TAP/TUN virtual network adapter only fully unloads after a restart.
Check C:\ProgramData\Cisco\ and C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\ are gone. If folders remain, delete them manually.
If a normal Cisco AnyConnect uninstall fails (corrupted install, missing entries), download Cisco's Secure Client Cleanup Tool from the Cisco support portal. It forcibly removes leftover drivers and registry keys.
Ask Rapid Pulse IT support for the cleanup toolTunnel modes
Cisco Secure Client supports two tunnel modes — full tunnel sends every byte of your internet traffic through the corporate Cisco AnyConnect VPN, while split tunnel only routes traffic destined for company resources, letting everything else go directly.
Having issues?
Specific errors
Quick fixes for the Cisco AnyConnect errors most users see. If none of these solve it, contact the IT helpdesk.
Credentials, MFA, or account status.
Network or Cisco AnyConnect gateway reachability.
SSL cert chain or trust issue.
Windows service stopped or failed to start.
services.msc → find Cisco Secure Client - AnyConnect VPN AgentInternal CA not installed on your device.
Background service or driver problem.
Common questions
Cisco AnyConnect (now branded as Cisco Secure Client) is Cisco's enterprise VPN client. It creates an encrypted tunnel between your device and the company gateway, giving you the same secure access you would have if you were in the office.
Yes — "Cisco Any Connect" with a space is just a common misspelling of Cisco AnyConnect (one word). They're the same product, now officially named Cisco Secure Client. You can use the Windows download button above either way — Rapid Pulse IT support hosts the same installer for both spellings.
You can download Cisco Secure Client directly from the "Download Cisco AnyConnect for Windows" button at the top of this page. Cisco also distributes the installer through their official Software Download portal, but for our employees we host it locally — so you can download Cisco Secure Client without needing a Cisco account. To download Cisco AnyConnect for an older OS version, contact IT.
Yes. Any access to internal systems, shared drives, or non-public applications requires an active VPN connection. If you are only using public web tools, the VPN is not required.
IT provides the portal address during onboarding. If you have misplaced it, contact the helpdesk and it will be resent securely.
Yes — your work laptop, personal computer, and mobile devices can all run Cisco Secure Client with the same credentials.
Yes. The installer is hosted on the company web server. Windows SmartScreen may show a warning for files from local servers. Click More Info → Run Anyway. On macOS, approve it in Privacy & Security settings.
Contact Rapid Pulse IT support directly. Do not use a personal VPN as a workaround — reach our IT support team so the issue can be diagnosed properly by a Rapid Pulse engineer.
The Cisco AnyConnect / Cisco Secure Client software itself is free to download. It only connects to a Cisco gateway (ASA or Firepower) that your company licenses separately. You can't use Cisco AnyConnect as a personal VPN.
By default Cisco Secure Client installs to C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco Secure Client\. Configuration and Cisco AnyConnect profile files live under C:\ProgramData\Cisco\Cisco Secure Client\.
Yes — Cisco Secure Client version 5.1 and later include native ARM64 builds for Windows on Snapdragon devices and Surface Pro X. Older Cisco AnyConnect 4.x runs via x64 emulation but is not recommended.
You need admin rights to install Cisco AnyConnect / Cisco Secure Client. Once installed, regular user accounts can run and connect without elevation. Updates pushed by your corporate gateway also don't require admin.
Common causes: full-tunnel routing all traffic through the gateway, the Cisco gateway being geographically distant, MTU mismatches, or congested home internet. Disconnect and reconnect to refresh the Cisco AnyConnect tunnel, and check with IT if there's a closer gateway available.
Yes — installation doesn't require the portal address. You enter it the first time you try to connect with Cisco AnyConnect. If you don't have your portal address yet, contact IT.
The Cisco AnyConnect VPN client itself doesn't log browsing. However, traffic routed through your corporate gateway may be inspected by your company's security policy — same as if you were on the office network. Read more about how we handle this in our network security service.
Need more detail?
Official Cisco Secure Client documentation, support articles, and our internal IT knowledge base.
Official Cisco docs — installation, deployment, and admin guides for Cisco AnyConnect.
Direct Cisco AnyConnect downloads (requires Cisco account). Latest builds and older versions.
Peer support for tricky Cisco AnyConnect issues. Search before posting.
For anything specific to your company configuration — portal addresses, account issues, Cisco Secure Client profile XML. The Rapid Pulse IT support team is on call around the clock.
The Rapid Pulse IT helpdesk is available 24/7 — email, live chat, and on-site IT support across all major platforms.
Contact IT Support