BellSouth Introduces New Security Service for Keeping e-Business Data Safe for Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 4, 2001–
— Managed Firewall – Silver Extends Market Reach of
BellSouth(R) Managed Security Services,
Provides Affordable Internet Protection —
SuperComm–BellSouth (NYSE:BLS) today announced the availability of a new service level for its Managed Firewall solution, providing more affordable Internet protection for small and medium-sized business customers.
BellSouth(R) Managed Firewall – Silver is a fully managed solution that delivers the highest level of security and round-the-clock monitoring by security experts at an affordable price for customers with more limited Internet access needs. Managed Firewall – Silver features the latest in security software and hardware from industry-leading vendors including Check Point and Nokia, as well as managed security services from Internet Security Systems(Nasdaq:ISSX).
Managed Firewall – Silver enables BellSouth customers to leverage BellSouth’s proven security architecture and provides access to a dedicated staff of security experts for full-time protection. Managed Firewall – Silver supports up to 100 IP addresses and is a complete security solution that includes:
— A thoroughly tested security platform including all appropriate hardware and software support
— Basic Design and Configuration of the Security Platform
— Professional On-site Installation
— 24×7 Monitoring and Administration
— 24×7 Help Desk Support
— On-line access to the BellSouth Security Management System for
reports and service requests
“Security is of prime concern regardless of the size of your business,” said Rex Adams, vice president of e-Business with BellSouth. “Whenever a connection is made to the Internet, your business is exposed to threats. BellSouth is now making its Managed Security Services available to a broader segment of our business customers by providing them with a fully managed solution at a price point that is affordable for both small and mid-sized businesses.”
BellSouth utilizes Internet Security Systems (ISS) as its preferred managed security provider for domestic and international markets. ISS is a leading global provider of security management solutions for the Internet, protecting digital assets and ensuring safe and uninterrupted e-business. ISS is a trusted security provider for BellSouth customers and more than 8,000 other customers worldwide, including 21 of the 25 largest U.S. commercial banks and the top 10 U.S. telecommunications companies.
“ISS and BellSouth have a successful history of providing effective security solutions together to our mutual customers,” noted Mike Dickstein, director of managed security services alliances for Internet Security Systems. “Managed Firewall – Silver expands BellSouth’s and ISS’ commitments to provide the best information protection solutions available to companies who need it the most. This offering will allow many small and mid-sized companies the opportunity to advance their security infrastructure ensuring safe and productive business over the Internet.”
Managed Firewall – Silver features best-of-breed security technology from Check Point and Nokia. The premise equipment installed at a customer’s site is based on the Nokia IP110 and IP330 security appliances that integrate the full implementation of Check Point VPN-1/FireWall-1, a comprehensive suite of IP networking functions and remote management capabilities. These compact security appliances provide a low-cost, simple-to-deploy security infrastructure and are ideal for small to medium size enterprises that rely on Internet access and a secure network to do business.
“While effective security requires more than just a firewall, many businesses still do not have access to an appropriately configured firewall that is monitored 24×7,” continued Adams. “BellSouth realizes that small and medium sized businesses have as great a need for protection from Internet security threats as do large enterprises, but do not necessarily have access to the latest technology or the ability to hire and train a staff of security experts. This is yet another example of how BellSouth is continually expanding upon its e-Platform initiative by offering the latest technology, infrastructure and trained personnel to our customers.”
Managed Firewall – Silver is only one component of BellSouth Managed Security Services. BellSouth offers a complete suite of value-added security solutions that allow organizations to outsource the management of one or more discrete security functions. BellSouth Managed Security Services enables customers to add additional security functionality as needs determine. Through its partnership with ISS, BellSouth Managed Security Services feature a number of scaleable options for businesses including:
— Managed firewall — includes configuration, installation and
ongoing 24×7 monitoring and maintenance to ensure security of
a company’s Internet gateway
— Intrusion detection and response — includes real-time
monitoring of network traffic for security violations or
network misuse
— Anti-virus/anti-vandal filtering — removes Internet-based
viruses embedded in email, files and web pages
— Web site blocking — helps enforce a company’s Internet usage
policy
By combining BellSouth Managed Security Services with other BellSouth e-business solutions such as Dedicated Internet Access, Managed Web Hosting and Managed VPN Services, customers have all of the services necessary to create and manage a safe, trusted environment for conducting e-business.
For more information on BellSouth Managed Security Services including Managed Firewall – Silver, visit http://www.biz.bellsouth.net/.
BellSouth’s e-Platform initiative includes state-of-the-art e-Business Centers complemented by 3.5 million miles of fiber optic cable, 1,650 central offices, 50 BellSouth Managed Facilities, 17,000 SONET rings and over 500 fast-packet switches to create a distributed e-business platform. With broadband connectivity provided by the BellSouth e-Platform, business customers get the advantage of reduced latency, better performance, continuous availability, improved caching, greater bandwidth and speed, and closer proximity to their end-users — transforming the communications network of today into a sophisticated, e-business-enabled platform.
About BellSouth Corporation
BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications services company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, serving more than 45 million customers in the United States and 16 other countries.
Consistently recognized for customer satisfaction, BellSouth provides a full array of broadband data and e-commerce solutions to business customers, including Web hosting and other Internet services. In the residential market, BellSouth offers DSL high-speed Internet access, advanced voice features and other services. BellSouth also provides online and directory advertising services, including BellSouth(R) RealPagesSM.com.
BellSouth owns 40 percent of Cingular Wireless, the nation’s second largest wireless company, which provides innovative wireless data and voice services.