Verizon Firewall Gives Users Freedom to Adapt

Verizon Business is launching a network-based custom firewall to allow customers to adjust the security settings across their global IP networks on their own.

Verizons Secure Gateway Firewall services can be used with all four Verizon Business networks—Private IP, vBNS+, Frame Relay and ATM—allowing customers to extend their communications reach by securely exchanging traffic between each of the networks and Verizon Business global Internet backbone.

Customers dont want to wait for Verizon to make changes in firewall settings that will meet their individual needs, said Eric Sorensen, senior group manager of Secure Gateway Services for Verizon Business, in an interview with eWEEK. Customers want to be able to make changes as they see fit and have those changes adopted in real time, he said.

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The custom firewall service provides companies with a simple Web-based GUI to define and modify policies controlling the public Internet traffic they choose to allow on their private network, Verizon officials said. Customers can centrally control both inbound and outbound traffic on demand, consolidating network access points and eliminating the need for multiple Internet connections and premises-based firewalls. As a result, customers can control costs and improve administrative efficiencies, officials said.

“Secure Gateway – Firewall (custom) can help companies shield their networks from harmful traffic while giving our customers more control to respond to their changing network requirements,” said Tom Roche, vice president of marketing for network voice and data services with Verizon Business, in a statement.

In addition to the new firewall, Verizon Business is expanding its network-based DoS (denial-of-service) security offerings—already available in the United States—to 11 countries in Europe to help combat worms and viruses before they disrupt networks.

Maleware purveyors have grown increasingly sophisticated, said Cindy Bellefeuille, Verizon Business director of security solutions.

“It gets easier and easier for malicious attackers and more and more difficult for us to stay ahead of attackers,” she said.

Verizons DoS defense filters out malicious traffic, Bellefeuille said. The offering will now be available in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The company hopes to extend the service to Latin America, Canada and Asia later this year, she added.

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