Telstra looks to offer security as a service

Internet service providers will increasingly provide security services to businesses as part of their overall offering as the shift to off-premise computing increases the pressure to provide highly available networks, according to Telstra's head of security related products.

Linked gallery: PHOTO GALLERY: On the floor at AusCERT 2010

Speaking at the AusCERT conference in the Gold Coast this afternoon, Telstra's Andy Solterbeck told IT security delegates that "service providers are and will be a substantial part of your security plot going forward, because we're the only ones that can see the network from end-to-end."

He said Telstra is already putting "more and more of the security gateway infrastructure" into the network "so we can offer it as a service to customers".

This will happen because "telcos don't have a choice", he said.

"We're seeing a quarter over quarter doubling of the size and frequency of attacks," he said. "The attacks are brute force."

Solterbeck said 5GB is the "sweet spot" for a major attacks.

"How many of your networks could survive a 6GB attack?" he asked. "None. I can't even give you 6GB of data without it crashing.

"We're getting to the point where buying another appliance is getting tired. It is therefore our job to offer end-to-end network security to our customers."

Telstra security restructure

Solterbeck said Telstra has restructured it's security business over the last 19 months, consolidating 27 disparate units into one to cement its security capability.

"We now have a single group - the Security Operations Centre (SOC) in Canberra.

Meanwhile, Solterbeck said cloud computing is a "hot market", but said the model "can't do everything".

"Organisations will continue to have customer premise equipment and will live for a significant time in a mixed environment," he said.

"But to move full infrastructures to the public cloud - we see as problematic."