MegaPath announced on Jan. 10 a new managed security as a service offering, which can be entirely cloud-based, on-premise or a mix of both.
Customers can decide whether to have the complete managed solution delivered from the cloud, have the equipment on-premises or have a hybrid of cloud and on-premise systems, according to MegaPath. The hybrid approach combines on-premises UTM (Unified Threat Management) appliance with private networking between the organization and the cloud to provide enhanced security, according to the company.
The new SAAS offering is based on the company’s PCI-certified MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) network, which was created by the three-way merger of MegaPath, Speakeasy and Covad in September. The merger gave MegaPath a full portfolio of voice, access, private networking, managed security and application services for the enterprise. The cloud-based services use the secured network, but on-premise customers are free to select their own preferred Internet connection or purchase the MegaPath Internet connectivity service, the company said.
Cloud-based security services are growing in popularity, as underscored by Dell’s recent acquisition of Atlanta-based SecureWorks. The acquisition added a ready-made managed-security services offering to Dell’s rapidly growing services portfolio.
The “volume, sophistication and speed of attacks is beyond what a single customer can manage,” said Peter Altabef, president of Dell Services, at the time of the acquisition.
MegaPath offers businesses struggling to defend against complex cyber-attacks with mitigation capabilities such as intrusion prevention with rogue wireless detection. Standard security features are also included, such as advanced firewall, anti-malware with antivirus and anti-spam functions as well as Web filtering with content filtering.
MegaPath also provides application security services with advanced application control and data leak prevention. The managed services platform also relies on Fortinet’s UTM technology to help customers control capital expenses and IT management resources, the company said.
The Managed Security Services are targeted toward customers in heavily regulated industries such as retail, health care and financial services, with MegaPath emphasizing its “compliance services,” which are services designed specifically to assist customers in fulfilling regulatory requirements. Compliance services include managed logging, vulnerability scanning and security information management, MegaPath said. Managed logging offers real-time collection and correlation of security events along with a daily automated review function, MegaPath said. Security information management allows customers to see security events correlated across multiple devices and sites, providing them with an audit trail.
“MegaPath isn’t just helping to lower costs; we are reducing risk and increasing security,” said John Ramsey, senior product manager of managed security and compliance at MegaPath. Customers opting for the on-premise UTM can protect their internal networks and Internet connections, Ramsey said.
Regardless of whether it is entirely cloud-based or on-premise, everything is managed by MegaPath using its management platform. Customers can view activity, reports and preferences via a Web-based portal, the company said.
MegaPath clients are charged a monthly fee for the cloud service, while the costs of the on-premise version include the equipment as well as the managed services fee. The fee varies by number of locations and is availalbe in two- or three-year terms, the company said.