Akamai Introduces Managed Security Services

"Web attacks are  increasing in frequency, scale and complexity, and a successful attack can result in denial of service, the theft of user data, or significant financial loss, all of which can create serious implications for the business," stated John Summers, vice president, Cloud Security, Akamai. "To build robust, long-term security strategies, enterprises need to consider going beyond simply employing the right security technology. Access to experts who are able to keep up with the changing threat landscape and provide round the clock support to identify and thwart potential attacks is a critical element to that successful security strategy."

Managed Kona Site Defender features a Web security interface designed for existing Kona Site Defender deployments. Akamai monitors a website 24/7 using its Security Operations Center (SOC). The company claims over 100 security experts at five locations spread out across the world.

Kona DDoS Defender is similar, using the company’s SOC to defend against Distributed Denial of Service attacks such as the one that affected Sony Pictures late last year.

As attacks on websites become more common, it’s difficult even for large companies to defend against them, as a series of high-profile data breaches last year has shown. That’s why the market for managed solutions such as those from Akamai will be very attractive to businesses in the future.

Computer security is hard to get right even in the best of circumstances, and one breach can severely damage a company’s reputation. As security is a difficult and specialized skill, many companies will outsource security to people who can specialize in it.

As one of the premier Content Delivery Network providers, Akamai has the resources to monitor networks for trouble where companies might not have specialized network security staff.