Guest writer 'Paul Dinsmore' discusses ISP security and firewalls

It is potential waiting for Service Providers to exploit. Your customers are not only willing to accept value-added service from you - they expect it. If the cost of firewall protection is less than the price of a cup of coffee every month, there are going to be very few customers that will quibble if it delivers the piece of mind they are looking for.

That's why I believe that customer acceptance is simply not an issue. They are becoming aware of the damage that a Hacker or Trojan could do. As broadband becomes more widespread, people are beginning to realise just how vulnerable their computers are, and they are seeking ways to protect themselves. To these customers, the Service Provider's case becomes compelling.

For a monthly fee, the customer gets the personal firewall they need. What they require is for that firewall to be correctly configured. The strongest firewall will count for nothing if there is just one chink in its armour. Customers will look for a way they can install a powerful firewall easily so they are confident no gaps remain. This has the added advantage of relieving a burden of support from the Service Provider. It's as close to a no-brainer as they're going to get.

The real issue then becomes how the Service Provider delivers.

Delivering a low cost, no hassle firewall

Investing in a complete security infrastructure is likely to be beyond the existing budgets of many Service Providers. And, is it actually that desirable? The same issues of bandwidth, availability and support - as with the Provider's own network - come into play. Instead, partnering with innovative security suppliers gives the Service Provider a means of introducing security services that are low cost and low maintenance to themselves.

In effect, the Service Provider retains control of the customer but uses software - like personal firewalls - which can be downloaded from their preferred security suppliers web site. The Service Provider can completely brand the service and it is fully transparent for the customer. The software can be downloaded without affecting the network performance of the Service Provider or the customer being aware that they have left their Service Provider's web site.

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