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AT&T, IBM reveal joint service to boost network security

AT&T and IBM have announced a partnership to give businesses a simplified, single source for network security and threat management.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer
credit cnet

AT&T and IBM have announced a security-based partnership to boost threat protection within the enterprise.

The prevalence of cyberthreats, with corporations and organizations worldwide often lucrative targets full of valuable, sensitive data has resulted in security becoming a top priority for many companies. If a firm becomes the victim of a high profile attack -- Target proving to be a warning example -- this can result in brand damage, the theft of data and loss of profit.

In order to address these challenges, the two firms say that business customers will be offered a new joint service combining security network infrastructure with advanced threat monitoring and analytics based on technology developed by each company.

The new service blends solutions from both AT&T and IBM. Specific elements include Network Security Infrastructure and Managed Security Services from AT&T -- including network firewalls, IDS/IPS, web filtering, secure email gateways and protection against distributed denial of service (DDoS) for devices managed on premises or within the AT&T cloud. IBM has contributed both its Security Monitoring and Threat Intelligence software and Emergency Response Services for support in responding to threats.

"Organizations are finding great benefits with hybrid IT strategies that blend mobile, cloud-based and on-premise IT resources," said Kris Lovejoy, general manager of IBM Security Services.

"But securing these infrastructures can be complicated without a single, integrated management system that avoids creating silos of security data making it almost impossible to uniformly monitor security threats across environments. IBM and AT&T have come together to offer unprecedented security services designed to break down those silos and better secure data no matter where it resides."

AT&T and IBM say the new security offering will result in improved management, minimized costs and complexities, and will boost visibility with intelligence and control across diverse IT environments -- with less need for security hardware, licenses, and maintenance.

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