Ericsson, NetScreen ink security deal

NetScreen Technologies teamed with Ericsson on Wednesday to provide the mobile giant with security technology. The technology from NetScreen is aimed at protecting carriers and other telecom service providers from intrusions and denial-of-service attacks. NetScreen said it signed an agreement to manufacture equipment for use in a range of Ericsson's telecommunications gear. For example, Stockholm, Sweden-based Ericsson will use the NetScreen-500 GPRS Security system in one of its services designed for mobile operators. NetScreen-500 GPRS Security provides firewall technology and security for VPNs (virtual private networks), private networks that exist within a public network. The technology will also protect VoIP (voice over IP) technology from intrusions and denial-of-service attacks, where a flood of requests brings a system down. Telecommunications have become increasingly vulnerable to these type of attacks as the technology involved shifts from traditional to Internet Protocol-based. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. --Tiffany Kary, Special to ZDNet News