Adaptive Network Security is a set of next generation firewalls with additional functionality built into them, including: secure, remote VPN access to corporate networks; and the ability to access Adaptive Network Security through a constellation of global next-generation security gateways distributed across Asia Pacific; Europe, Middle East and Africa and North America, all interconnected via CenturyLink’s expansive, global VPN backbone.
Adaptive Network Security Mobility allows enterprises to route mobile users’ access through next-generation Adaptive Network Security gateways, enabling the consistent application of security policies regardless of how, or where, users connect.
CenturyLink has initially deployed gateways in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and by H1 2018 it will have three additional gateways in Latin America, according to vice president of global security services Chris Richter.
“These are next generation firewalls – security gateways with extra security functions built into them,” Richter told Capacity. “Companies use these as a way to reduce the cost or replace entirely their perimeter firewalls, most notably at their prem locations. We are extending these features to the mobile workforce.
“Businesses today are embracing a global and mobile employee base. Thanks to the need for a constant connection on the devices of our choice, the concept of a ‘security perimeter’ can be difficult to define.”
“Compounding matters is the unfortunate fact that public WiFi remains highly susceptible to hacking, and mobile devices are prime targets, which is why enterprises need secure mobility solutions that do not hinder performance and flexibility. Our customers need to be confident their employees’ connections are secure regardless of connection type or device.”
The policy of the mobile user follows them wherever they go because that is checked and assessed at the gateway, Richter said.
The product is a legacy Level 3 offering, following the merger of the two companies which was completed last year. It falls into a wider range of security products being offered by CenturyLink, which includes a number of security controls including DDoS mitigation capability with over 4.5tbs, threat analysis capabilities on its backbone, and other services.
Richter adds:“With spiralling security costs, which include the cost of the hardware which needs to be keep up-to-date, and the cost of the personnel to manage it – there are over a million job openings around the world in security that can’t be filled right now – enterprises look for something that relieves that cost. And we do that. Instead of maintaining that cost for a mobile workforce, we’ve added that.
“The number of people moving to mobility for work is growing so these VPN connections are becoming increasingly important. In North America alone there is around four million people never sitting in an office using a dedicated circuit.”