Dacom Launches Managed Security

South Korean telecom firm Dacom Corp. has deployed specialist routers to support its managed security services, and analysts say that other firms may follow suit.

Dacom today announced the launch of its new Cyber Attack Defense Network (CADNet), a VPN service designed to protect customers from threats such as worms, viruses, and denial-of-service attacks. The service provider has deployed 10 iQ8000 Security Service Routers from Quarry Technologies Inc. to support CADNet and help manage the service on a per-subscriber basis.

The 16-slot iQ8000 combines an Internet router and security features such as firewall, intrusion detection, and 3DES encryption. The technology isn't new, but it's becoming increasingly popular as PC users come under constant attack from the likes of the Sasser Worm and other security threats.

Geoff Bennett, chief technologist at Heavy Reading, says, Carriers are realizing that there is a demand for security services out there -- but they can also make additional revenues.”

Ron Westfall, principal analyst at Current Analysis,says, “What is driving carriers is quite simply their customers. It’s the more sophisticated security breaches that have raised the stakes.”And Quarry is not the only company looking to make inroads into the telecom market with specialist security routers. Competitor CoSine Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: COSN), for example, has already deployed its IPSX product at Korea Telecom.

Earlier this year, CoSine also announced upgrades to the 26-slot 9500 and 8-slot 3500 IPSX products (see CoSine Boosts Switch Features).

The Quarry and CoSine products stand out because they address routing and security in a single device. “We are now seeing the second generation of broadband offerings that are coming along have these value-added services,” says Bennett. "The most cost-effective way to do that is in a single box."

For his part, Westfall believes the products will help service providers offer managed security services to smaller business. “Carriers will use this form of technology to extend their security to SMBs [small to medium businesses] -- whether it’s something as vanilla as a network-based firewall, or a lot of other capabilities such as intrusion detection.”

— James Rogers, Site Editor, Next-gen Data Center Forum0