Verizon expands its software-defined ecosystem by integrating another security tool
Verizon Communications is offering another security component to its virtual network services platform with the addition of Check Point Software Technologies.
Verizon has become more and more concerned with securing its virtual service line, and it’s easy to understand why. Cybercrime in the form of data theft, ransomware and computer hacks has become a major problem for service providers with the switch to virtualization. According to research by Kaspersky Lab, the expenses anchored to just one ransomware incident at a company is on average greater than $713,000. Despite the risk of cybercrime, several companies are not fully prepared to handle the threat.
Check Point bills itself as the largest network cyber security vendor globally. The company recently released ThreatCloud IntelliStore, an intelligence marketplace where customers can purchase intelligence feeds to keep cyberattacks at bay with Check Point security gateways. These gateways provide an array of threat prevention software blades, including firewalls, antivirus software and anti-bots. Verizon added Check Point’s security solution to its VNS platform due to customer demand for the product, and for its ability to scale software to satisfy each company’s needs.
“Cyber security in the cloud is currently fragmented, made up of mainly ‘detection only’ based solutions and fails to protect enterprises from current or future cyber-attacks,” said Pierre-Paul Allard, head of worldwide sales at Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., in a release. “Check Point Infinity is a fully consolidated cyber security architecture that provides the high-level, pre-emptive threat prevention across networks, cloud and mobile devices, and we are delighted that it is now available to users of Verizon Virtual Network Services.”
Verizon released its Virtual Network Services last year, which provides services for WAN routing, WAN optimization and security with network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) technologies. Verizon’s VNS-Security offers threat prevention security throughout the virtual network, protecting traffic, data and workloads at data centers and customer premises.
Verizon has added security tools to its Virtual Network Services other than Check Point, including Palo Alto Networks Inc., Fortinet Inc., Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR and Cisco Systems Inc. The company is growing its software-defined ecosystem to address security concerns expressed by global enterprise customers about running network applications in public and private clouds.
Verizon’s adoption of Check Point comes after the company announced it will bring its Virtual Network Services to the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The move compliments Verizon’s investment in the SDN and NFV ecosystem, allowing global enterprise customers to deploy, connect and manage virtual networks.
