In a nod to a cost-saving technology’s wide acceptance as a secure means of communication, a major U.S. broadband and telecom provider today extended its firewall certification for a Swedish company to include its VoIP module.

 

Officails at ICSA Labs – a division of Verizon Business that used to be called the “International Computer Security Association” – say their certification means that Ingate Systems’ module supports VoIP traffic while blocking and minimizing Internet telephony security threats.

 

According to Anders Eriksson, chief executive officer at Ingate, the company long advocated for a strict adherence to developing products with the highest level of security for Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert) applications, including VoIP.

 

“We are proud to be the first vendor to successfully pass ICSA Labs’ optional VoIP module test further showcasing our strength in providing advanced security for VoIP,” Eriksson said.

 

Ingate enables SIP trunking, NAT traversal, remote connectivity solutions and SIP security edge devices for service providers, IP-PBX (News - Alert) vendors and end-users.

 

The new, add-on certification means that ICSA Labs tested Ingate’s so-called “Firewall 1500 VoIP” module in two areas. First, the introduction of the firewall – pictured at right with its family of Firewall 1550 and 1600 products – into the VoIP stream did not disrupt or degrade the VoIP connection. Also, ICSA Labs ensured that VoIP-specific vulnerabilities could not pass through the firewall.

 

In general, SIP trunking is a service offered by Internet telephony service providers so that businesses can adopt VoIP using their Internet connection. That way, they can communicate with others who rely on the PSTN, since the enterprise IP-PBX is connected to the service provider’s PSTN gateways over the Internet.

 

Here’s how Ingate diagrams its SIP trunking technology, including its Firewall products:

 

 

Ingate’s technology is finding more and more clients in this slower economy.

 

As TMCnet reported, one organization seeking to cut costs during this recession, a group that arranges dental care for underserved U.S. children, turned to Ingate for a telecommunications upgrade to VoIP. Officials at Kool Smiles said they replaced their traditional telephony system with Ingate’s SIP trunking.

 

With the add-on certification from ICSA Labs the Ingate Firewall 1500 becomes the first product to be granted certification for the VoIP module.

 

According to Brian Monkman, firewall program manager for ICSA Labs, after the Ingate Firewall 1500 passed the rigorous testing, the company decided to take its certification one step further.

 

“By satisfying the strict requirements of ICSA Labs’ optional certification process, Ingate holds itself to one of the highest security standards – recognized globally by governments, businesses and end-users – as it delivers a safe and secure VoIP product to customers,” Monkman said.