02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

IBM Unveils Solution to Reduce Security Appliance Sprawl

New Products, Agreements and Trends
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

IBM today introduced the new IBM Telecom Integrated Solution for Security to optimize security systems operations and simplify management for both fixed and mobile environments.

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Spain, the IBM Telecom Integrated Solution for Security is an integrated hardware, software, and services framework for communications service providers to deliver carrier-grade network services free of malicious traffic

The key components of the solution include BladeCenter, Proventia Intrusion Detection, Tivoli Security Operations Manager, the Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus products, along with hardware and software from IBM Business Partners.

Both businesses and consumers are demanding more defenses be incorporated into their voice, video, and Internet services, according to IBM. Mobile viruses like the Symbian OS worm have been actively spreading on mobile phone networks worldwide, proving they are no longer theoretical in nature and more dangerous than ever before. A recent IBM survey showed more service providers are realizing the value of security as a strategic differentiator in a fiercely competitive market. Yet fewer than half of IBM's survey respondents (46 percent) said their companies had a strategy in place for mitigating security risks posed by next generation networks.

"The delivery of new IP services cannot come at expense of security considerations," said Mike Hill, general manager of IBM's Telecommunications Industry department. "Consumers have high expectations for rigorous security and won't compromise as they interact with more and more mobile content. Security services are a key way for service providers to add value to their IP service offerings, and IBM is focused on simplifying and accelerating this capability for our customers worldwide," he said.

As service providers migrate from disparate infrastructures to an all digital, IP-based information flow, many are seeking to streamline and consolidate multiple security functions, reducing space requirements as they transform security operations, according to IBM.

Consolidating multiple appliances helps create a security "backplane" that brings together all security requirements into a single framework that enables service providers to realize greater performance and network resiliency at multiple levels, said IBM. IBM BladeCenter provides the foundation for this new security backplane, helping to reduce complexity and costs associated with appliance sprawl, the company said. As an industry leading platform designed for converged IT and networking services, BladeCenter brings together leading multicore microprocessors, 10Gb networking, a multi-terrabit backplane and storage capabilities with new extensions like network processor blades, deep packet inspection blades, and flow control switching and management.

"With the increasing convergence of IT and Telecommunications, we see IBM BladeCenter as a leading platform to deliver Service Innovation in the market place," said Matt Bross, chief technology officer, BT Group.

The new solution-which has evolved from IBM's prior Core Infrastructure Security Solution-offers a standard deployment approach on IBM hardware with software and services, combined with a set of third party security applications specifically designed for service providers.

In addition to BladeCenter, key elements of the Telecom Integrated Solution for Security include:

·      IBM Proventia Network Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) for BladeCenter: This new framework for IBM Internet Security Systems' flagship threat management product gives carriers a flexible, scalable option for deploying IPS technology to protect their own infrastructure and to offer "in the cloud" protection as a service to their customers. Proventia's implementation within the solution halts attacks closer to their point of origin, preserving available bandwidth for productive computing.

·      IBM Tivoli Security Operations Manager: IBM Tivoli Security Operations Manager software provides a real-time dashboard to help customers keep their computer networks and systems up and running despite security threats from malicious outsiders, employees, or contractors. The software leverages autonomic capabilities to analyze data from throughout an IT environment to detect security threats, optimizing and automating the process of incident recognition, investigation and response.

·      IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus: IBM Tivoli Netcool/OMNIbus consolidates network and IT operations under a single fault monitoring solution to help organizations improve the availability of their applications and services. The software provides real-time service views, quickly identifies problems before they cause costly outages, and features advanced capabilities for automating corrective actions to common problems.

·      Compliance and security consulting: From architecture and design services to policy development, assessments, staff augmentation and support for regulatory compliance efforts, the IBM Professional Security Services portfolio provides a holistic approach to the full lifecycle of threat mitigation.

·      IBM Managed Security Services: IBM also provides a comprehensive portfolio of managed services to both augment carriers' security operations and enable carriers to sell security services to their customers.

The single framework supports a range of telecom security services, such as DDoS protection, intrusion prevention/detection, firewall, virtual private networks (VPN), deep packet inspection, messaging security, and email security.

A series of IBM Business Partners, including leading independent software vendors and independent hardware vendors, are aligning with IBM to enable service providers to choose the components that best fit their needs over time. Examples include: Arbor Networks, Check Point Software Technologies, Cloudmark, CloudShield Technologies, and Continuous Computing as well as IBM Internet Security Systems.

"By bringing together its broad capabilities under this universal security initiative, IBM is providing a powerful resource to help telecommunications companies simultaneously manage threats far more effectively," said Paul Morville, vice president of product management, Arbor Networks. "We look forward to working with IBM to advance the Telecom Integrated Solution for Security with our global telecommunications customers."

Additionally, CloudShield Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of advanced service control and infrastructure security solutions, is providing a carrier-class deep packet inspection solution for the BladeCenter family. "This relationship is evidence of our core focus on providing multi-function service control and security to service providers around the world," said Matt Jones, president and CEO at CloudShield.

Based on growing demand from telco clients to speed secure product and service introductions, IBM has also established the Telecom Security Centre within the Telecom Solutions Laboratory in Montpellier, France, to showcase the IBM Telecom Integrated Solution for Security along with its partners.

For more information, please visit www.ibm.com/telecom.

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.

For more information, visit: www.ibm.com.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: