TeleCents Communications has deployed Secure Computing Sidewinder to provide security for their traditional telecom as well as VoIP services. TeleCents required one device to protect their entire enterprise gateway, and Sidewinder's powerful, scaleable solution included all the components necessary for the secure exchange of both traditional data and VoIP calls across open networks.

TeleCents Communications recently chose to implement the SIP application to strengthen their VoIP offering. But with that implementation, potential security vulnerabilities increased dramatically, making an increased level of gateway security essential. VoIP risks are perhaps the best-kept secret on the Internet. Blinded by the promise of reduced costs and flashy features, VoIP deployments forge ahead despite millions in losses due to VoIP fraud and the growing trend of hackers using VoIP as a back door into enterprise networks. It is for these reasons that VoIP security is essential.

With the help of numerous sniffing, fuzzing and manipulation tools available on the Internet, VoIP and SIP technologies have inadvertently challenged traditional firewalls. TeleCents found that Sidewinder's SIP application defense was the answer, combining intelligent filtering with VoIP signatures to protect SIP communications from attack, while allowing SIP traffic to pass through the firewall without requiring action by the user. The Sidewinder VoIP/SIP protection feature is standard with all Sidewinder appliances so only one device is needed to protect both data and VoIP calls for the entire gateway.

Secure Computing ensures proactive security by applying the same research and technology for VoIP that's used for blocking source IP addresses in Web and email transactions. Sidewinder blocks and allows gateway access based on the reputation of both IP addresses and domains from which each individual SIP communication originates.