Sonus Networks and Palo Alto Networks have launched a managed service solution that allows MSSPs to protect enterprises against unified communications (UC) threats, the companies assert.
The Sonus-Palo Alto managed service solution helps mitigate the effects of malware, telephony denial of service (TDoS) and other potential IP security threats. It also ensures MSSPs can "raise the trust level of UC and the rest of the IP network," Sonus Chief Technology Officer Kevin Riley said in a prepared statement.
A Closer Look at the Managed Service Solution
The managed service solution combines Sonus session border controller (SBC) and Palo Alto firewall capabilities and enables them to act in tandem.
In the past, Sonus SBCs and Palo Alto firewalls operated independently and did not share insights on potential security threats. The managed security solution now ensures a Sonus SBC can signal a Palo Alto firewall to exchange provisioning and configuration information of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunks, enabling MSSPs to configure new SIP trunks for enterprise customers.
Moreover, the managed service solution shares black- and white-list information, Sonus stated. By doing so, the solution allows MSSPs to identify malicious behavior and secure enterprise perimeters faster than ever before.
"Businesses spend billions of dollars every year protecting data through firewalls and other data-centric security devices. Comparatively, the communications side remains relatively untouched," Riley said in a prepared statement. "By combining Sonus SBC and firewall capabilities ... data and communications in one simple deployment."
The Future of UC
Many enterprises are leveraging UC systems to drive real-time communications and optimize business processes. Meanwhile, the push for hosted UC systems among enterprises may increase, creating new opportunities for MSSPs.
The global UC market is expected to be worth nearly $143.5 billion by 2024, according to market research firm Grand View Research. In addition, hosted UC systems may become the preferred choice for enterprises due to the cost and time savings they can provide over on-premises solutions.
