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SmartSolutions IT leaders are facing a raft of unfunded federal mandates designed to help secure their IT infrastructure. CenturyLink provides services and support, including MTIPS as a man- aged security service, that can help them comply with and even exceed the requirements in those federal mandates. September ushered in a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) website attacks against several major U.S. financial institutions. Recent events, in addi- tion to real and increasing threats from both internal and external hackers, underscore the fact that organizations must take cybersecurity very seriously. Several technologies have been designed to protect government institutions and organizations from cyberattacks. Among the approved programs is the Trusted Internet Connection (TIC) initiative, which requires that agencies reduce their number of Internet connections. This can be accomplished via Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Services (MTIPS) under the Networx contract. Additionally, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) migration provides additional IP addresses and better security for devices connected to the Internet. However, few agencies comply with either mandate. For example, only 11 percent of federal agencies had operational support for IPv6 websites at the end of September, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Cost is definitely an issue, as these technologies require new equipment and employee training. Managed services from companies like CenturyLink, however, can help reduce an agency’s capital outlay and the need for new IT staff while increasing overall network security. A Simpler Transition CenturyLink provides agencies with a private transport infrastructure to direct traffic from the agency’s location to a secure MTIPS gateway hosted in one of CenturyLink’s industry-leading, next-generation data centers. CenturyLink is one of the first providers to enable IPv6 on its MTIPS plat- form, which enables Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) capabilities. However, this is not the only thing that separates CenturyLink from its competitors. CenturyLink also differentiates itself with its network and MTIPs service design, which features quadruple redundancy and a resiliency that helps customers derive immediate benefits from migration. CenturyLink can also help agencies design their migration strategy using a best practices template. Once the design is created, the company provides program management support so that there is minimal (if any) downtime. Existing IPS customers can be upgraded to the enhanced managed security services features of MTIPS, and they have the ability to customize and reconfigure that service dynamically. New MTIPS customers can also cus- tomize and reconfigure their offerings on a rolling basis. This provides the benefit of not needing to know from “day one” how their network should be designed or configured. In other words, the net- Managed Products and Services Help Agencies Secure Their Networks SPONSORED CONTENT > news, ideas & trends in brief work can evolve as the agency’s needs evolve. As customers become comfort- able with the MTIPS product, agencies can modify it based on their needs by using a customized interface portal. An added benefit is that by acquiring this cloud-based service, organizations will also fulfill the Cloud-First initiative, since they will only pay for the services they use. MTIPS is only one product offering in CenturyLink’s expansive security suite. Even those agencies that have imple- mented a Trusted Internet Connection internally can take advantage of other managed services to lighten their IT secu- rity load, including cloud-based managed firewall services, data backup and co-loca- tion. Other CenturyLink security offerings include DDoS mitigation, cyberthreat analysis, professional security services consulting, threat intelligence and analysis services, infrastructure protection services, and security application development. When combined, these services can provide safeguards by making sure that all incoming traffic, including traffic from cloud services, has been scrubbed so that the agency’s network is protected and by making sure that all outgoing traffic remains on a private network, thus enhanc- ing the agency’s safety and security. • For more information about CenturyLink Government’s services and offerings, please contact your agency’s representative or email us at [email protected]. For more information on CenturyLink, please go to: CenturyLink.com/federal CM120448 3/13
