By Beecher Tuttle
If this year has taught us anything, it is that network security is a vital part of the health of any organization. This is especially true for service providers, which are facing cyber threats that they couldn't have imagined just a few years ago.
The ever-increasing reliance that businesses have on mobile devices, next-gen communication services and Web apps has made security even more paramount for service providers. These broadband technologies provide additional revenue opportunities for carriers, but they also give hackers, malware purveyors and spammers greater opportunities to find cracks in network armor.
Failing to prevent or mitigate the effects of a cyber attack will lead to considerable short- and long-term costs for operators and their customers.
All of this comes at a time when service providers need to roll out new services and applications to remain competitive in the fast-moving IP communications space. Security must be a chief concern, but it can't inhibit progress, slow development lifecycles or affect the availability of innovative revenue-generating services that can differentiate a carrier from its rivals.
Service providers that are facing this predicament may want to look to Alcatel-Lucent's IMS solutions, which provide partners with a trusted foundation for next-generation communication services across fixed, mobile and web – all while keeping security, scalability and cost as top priorities.
Alcatel-Lucent's IMS security architecture provides complete visibility and control over critical network assets. The solution can be customized to offer security planning, monitoring and reporting, as well as advice on how to manage governance, risk and compliance. Best of all, the IMS security architecture is cost effective and easy to manage.
France-based Alcatel-Lucent works hand-in-hand with service providers to identify their particular security concerns and develop a customized solution that responds to those requirements.
Standards that are considered include various generic network level requirements, management plane requirements and control and end-user plane requirements.
IMS security, based on the ITU-T X.805 security framework, is made up of nine groups of assets, including application, services and infrastructure security layers as well as end-user, control and management planes.
In addition, Alcatel-Lucent security solutions take into account Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks, CERT Unix Security Checklist v3.0, MySQL Reference Manual section 5.3 and many other industry best practices.
IMS can help detect accidental, intentional, passive and active threats. Alcatel-Lucent can also provide additional security services that complement IMS products and solutions. These optional offerings include security assessment services and security design architecture services, among many others.
For more detailed information on the technical aspects of the IMS security architecture, check out a recent Alcatel-Lucent white paper, “Alcatel-Lucent IMS Security: Providing A Trusted Foundation,” which further explains how Alcatel-Lucent builds security features into every step in the IMS product and solution lifecycle.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
