Network security company Arbor Networks today announced it has formed the Fingerprint Sharing Alliance, an industry initiative aimed at helping network operators share Internet attack information automatically.
The group allows companies to share detailed attack profiles in real time and block attacks closer to the source.
“When an attack hits, time is of the essence. By sharing the attack details providers are better able to protect their customers as the attack is mitigated closer to the point of origin, thus preventing collateral damage,” says Tom Schuster, president of Arbor Networks. “Arbor’s intent is to have global service providers join together to combat these cyber threats and protect the overall infrastructure of the Internet.”
Telecom companies participating in the Fingerprint Sharing Alliance include British Telecom, MCI Inc. and NTT Communications. Other carriers, providers, hosting companies and educational institutions include Asia Netcom, Broadwing Communications LLC, Cisco Systems Inc., ITC^DeltaCom, the University of Pennsylvania, WilTel Communications and XO Communications.
Arbor Networks says as global infrastructure attacks become more distributed and diffused, network operators increasingly need to communicate faster and more efficiently with upstream providers and customers to resolve attacks.
“We’re seeing more technology-savvy criminals trying to make money through denial of service extortion schemes,” says Yankee Group Senior Analyst Jim Slaby. “Service providers that are cooperating by sharing attack fingerprints are helping mitigate these threats more quickly and closer to the source, thus making the Internet a more secure place.”
