Nortel, Websense Team Up for Wireless Security

Nortel (ww.nortel.com) and Websense, Inc. (www.websense.com) have signed an agreement to develop a web content filtering solution to protect GSM/UMTS mobile handsets from receiving and accessing unwanted content.

“Wireless service providers and subscribers alike are finding their handsets increasingly receiving unwanted or even malicious content from spammers, hackers or overly aggressive marketers,” said Brian Burke, IDC.
This innovative URL filtering and security solution will help protect mobile handsets and devices from content that could interfere with voice and data services and also block downloading of malicious code. It will allow GSM/UMTS wireless operators to set mobile handset and device internet access policies for subscribers across three URL filtering categories – security threats, adult materials, and undesirable content.

To protect themselves from threats and unwanted content found on high security risk websites, subscribers will be able to request the operator to automatically block malicious content from reaching their wireless devices.

“The task of protecting mobile subscribers and their devices from unwanted content has become a significant concern for wireless carriers and subscribers around the globe as new voice, video and data services are increasingly accessed on the go,” said Deborah Bourland, vice president, GSM/UMTS packet core product line management, Nortel.

“By providing protection from malicious and unwanted content on handsets, Websense’s best-of-breed solutions will enable Nortel’s wireless carrier customers to offer improved web security and content filtering to their subscribers,” said John Carrington, chairman and chief executive officer of Websense.

Websense URL filtering technology will be combined with Nortel’s GSM/UMTS wireless packet core solution (GGSN platform) and is expected to be made available to operators by the end of 2005.

The Nortel GGSN wireless packet core solution integrates wireless and IP value-added services and enables personalized IP packet inspection and filtering for a given user’s data session.

Nortel understands how to solve security issues throughout both service provider and enterprise networks. Nortel has been ranked number one for each of the past six years by Dell'Oro Group for its ‘content aware’ application switches, which include application-layer security and security acceleration to quickly recognize unauthorized intruders to the network or viruses.

Websense provides web filtering and web security solutions to over 24,000 organizations worldwide. The company was recently named the market share leader in the web filtering software segment of the secure content management (SCM) market for the third consecutive year by leading analyst firm IDC.