Infosec 2009: BT unveils managed security portfolio

BT has partnered with Oracle and Echoworx on a range of security solutions

BT has unveiled several new managed security services at the Infosecurity Europe show in London, including an online fraud detection, prevention and identity verification service, and a hosted platform for the secure management of email and documents.

The Managed Fraud Reduction service is based on Oracle's Adaptive Access Manager and BT's URU (you are you) identity verification service. It was developed in response to growing demand from financial institutions, online retailers, utilities, and gaming and leisure providers for real-time online fraud detection and prevention at the point of registration and for all subsequent transactions.

"The demand for a real-time, highly accurate, managed anti-fraud service spans multiple industry sectors, and we are delighted to have been able to collaborate further with Oracle to deliver this service," said Ray Stanton, global head of business continuity, security and governance at BT Global Services.

The managed service aims to reduce the administrative overheads associated with online anti-fraud policy management and maintenance, while assisting with regulatory compliance and strengthening revenue protection.

By analysing the origin and nature of incoming transactions, the system uses behavioural intelligence and profiling to generate a risk score for each transaction, allowing continual assessment of threat levels and the ability to dynamically update policies and respond to new threats.

The Managed Secure Documents (MSD) and Managed Secure Email (MSE) services are delivered by BT in partnership with software security firm Echoworx, and are designed to offer simple and easy-to-use encryption technologies.

The MSE platform filters inbound and outbound emails for any malicious content, and provides end-to-end encryption services for sensitive messages. Similarly, the MSD service can encrypt sensitive information stored on desktops, laptops, removable storage media and shared networks.

"It is unacceptable that organisations continue to lose sensitive data on a USB stick or CD. MSE and MSD will enable the use of simple encryption and decryption services to guarantee that data is not breached by a hostile third party," said Stanton.

The combination of these products can help ensure that businesses protect vital information whether in transit or at rest, according to Stanton, and can help organisations to manage and monitor the way sensitive information is shared and stored.

Neil Ward, European vice president at Echoworx, explained that the platform is designed to remove the complexity usually associated with these types of systems, and is about to receive CESG Claims Tested Mark accreditation for use in the UK public sector. He added that the MSD and MSE services are completely 'white label', meaning that businesses can place their own branding on the interface.

The various services are available now through BT Global Services, and as a retail offering through BT Corporate. Each service is offered on a per-user per-month basis costing between £3 and £5, with discounts available for large volume purchases.