Alcatel-Lucent will today launch a new secure VoIP solution designed to protect medium and large sized firms from the increasing attacks on IP networks, while preserving quality of service.

The new secure voice offering combines Alcatel-Lucent's VPN Firewall Brick with its telephony platform.

The firewall is a hardened security product designed by Bell Labs, which was originally created to secure the US government's classified networks. It has no known vulnerabilities reported by the Computer Emergency Response Team, according to Alcatel-Lucent.

"We are seeing more and more vulnerabilities posted against VoIP, and there are some easy targets," said Natalie Stallwood, Alcatel-Lucent's business development manager.

"Often when VoIP is deployed it is by a comms team, not an IT or security [team]. VoIP delivers so many great benefits to businesses including reducing costs, but they need to make sure it's secure."

The solution works by 'dynamic pin-holing', or dynamically and randomly assigning a port only once a call has been set up. Many traditional firewall solutions are not VoIP aware, meaning that several ports are opened for the duration of a call. This can threaten the security of both voice and data infrastructure, said Stallwood.