AT&T webcast alert system has eye on security

AT&T on Wednesday launched a 24-hour internet security webcast programme aimed at delivering security alerts and daily dispatches to corporate customers.

The company's Internet Security News Network (ISNN) is designed to offer news updates twice per day and interviews with security experts. It is also intended to leverage AT&T's year-old managed security services and the AT&T Internet Protect subscriber service.

ISNN is available only to subscribers of the Internet Protect service, who currently number in the hundreds, according to an AT&T spokeswoman. ISNN is a free service to Internet Protect customers, she noted.

The security video network is designed to operate 24 hours per day and, when attacks occur, deliver live emergency broadcasts to users' desktops. ISNN programming also features interviews with security experts and forensic analysts.

Ed Amoroso, AT&T chief security officer, said in a statement: "AT&T ISNN is designed to help users understand potential threats and to help them better protect themselves."

AT&T Internet Protect is a managed security service that includes security alerts and monitoring as well as firewalls, tokens to authenticate a user's identity, and intrusion detection and prevention technologies.

These services are similar to those offered by security giants Checkpoint Software Technologies, McAfee and Symantec, as well as other vendors such as VeriSign. Corporate customers will often receive email alerts from their respective security vendor, notifying them of attacks and suggesting ways to mitigate the problems.

AT&T's security webcast programme will be one more tool to combat attacks, said the AT&T spokeswoman.

She added: "It will be one more place to get up-to-the-minute security information. It will also consolidate a lot of that information that customers are getting from other sources, as well."

AT&T is familiar with the disruptions security problems can cause. The telecommunications giant runs internet access service AT&T Worldnet, which has had to deal with a range of security threats and unsolicited bulk email.

Dawn Kawamoto writes for CNET News.com