NETWORKS

Juniper Networks today announced that it has been chosen to supply a range of security solutions to Saudi Telecom Corporation (STC). Juniper Networks integrated firewall and virtual private network (VPN) and secure socket layer (SSL) VPN solutions will secure the internal networks supporting Saudi Telecom's business, which has the Middle East's largest number of subscribers. STC is the leading provider of telecommunications voice and data services to the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company provides a variety of modern telecommunications services to its customers including: fixed and mobile, voice and data services based on a variety of transmission systems including microwave, fiber optic, coax, satellite and submarine facilities. STC is committed to providing a secure business environment and meeting the needs of its customers, as well as legal and regulatory requirements. And, particular importance is given to the protection of staff, information, infrastructure, and business processes, continuity of services, and revenue. Saleh Al-Zahrani, director, Information Security Controls and Solutions at Saudi Telecom, said: "As a regional leader in tele- and data-communications, Saudi Telecom recognizes the need to leverage superior security solutions to protect its operational data from the ever-increasing threats caused by hackers and unauthorized users. Further, to ensure simplicity and minimize operational overhead, we want a single-vendor solution capable of delivering reliability, stability, performance, high quality support and integrated functionality. We found that Juniper Networks provides the best product range to meet these needs." Saudi Telecom is securing the cores of its internal networks with numerous high-end integrated firewall and VPN systems from Juniper Networks' portfolio of award-winning, high-performance security solutions. In total, three key sites are operating these devices in active-active mode, which ensures highly reliable data throughput in the unlikely event of one device's processing interruption. Further, the network connections of 11 STC regional offices around the country are secured by redundant pairs of mid-range integrated firewall and VPN appliances from Juniper Networks' security portfolio. IPSec VPN links operate between the core sites and the 11 regional offices to ensure that site-to-site communication is fully encrypted and secure, while leveraging the cost benefits of using the public Internet. To maintain network security for employees requiring remote access to the corporate network while traveling or working from home, Saudi Telecom has deployed a solution from the Juniper Networks NetScreen-Secure Access appliance range. This solution provides secure, browser-based remote access to Saudi Telecom's corporate network resources, from any device or locale. It is clientless, so new users can be brought online quickly with minimal operational overhead. Before any network access is granted, the user is authenticated, and the security status of the machine being used is verified. The appropriate level of access is then granted, enabling the employee to reach various applications remotely without exposing the entire network to un-authorized or malicious use. Once the session is complete, the Juniper Networks solution empties the machine's cache of any downloaded files and documents. Eddie Minshull, vice president of sales, EMEA for Juniper Networks, commented: "We have provided Saudi Telecom with an integrated, best-in-class suite of security solutions for its internal network, which enables the company to secure its customer-facing organizational activity with confidence. This is an excellent example of the value of Juniper Network's broad security portfolio and how complementary IPSec and SSL VPN deployments can be."