OJSC N.W. Telecom has started the pilot operation of a network security threat detection and avoidance system in St. Petersburg. During the first phase, early in 2009, a corporate network security system based on Juniper IDP equipment was put into operation, its main objective being early detection of any malicious activity in the network both by Company 's subscribers and by other providers.

The main goal North-West Telecom sets in implementing the network security threat detection and avoidance system and accompanying services for clients is to improve the quality of the broadband Internet access service (Avangard and AliancePRO Internet ), which has become a mass service for the recent 3 years and continues to develop both from the standpoint of subscriber base growth and in respect of the increase of traffic speeds and volumes.

In 2008 Juniper IDP 200 sensors were installed on the main stations of OJSC N.W. Telecom 's broadband access network to check subscribers' incoming and outgoing traffic for presence of malicious traffic which deteriorates the quality of provided broadband access services, impairs the operation of software, noticeably reduces the data transmission speed and increases the load on maintenance services.

Thanks to the Juniper IDP 200 equipment, subscribers are notified automatically of any contamination of computer s with viruses or other malicious programs. A user of an "infected" PC attempting to get to the Internet (to get connected to a certain web node) gets to OJSC N.W. Telecom 's information portal, where comprehensive information is provided on what has happened, why access to the Internet has been temporarily blocked and what A function of automatic unblocking is provided for at the portal, making it possible for a subscriber to restore the connection with the Internet without somebody else's help and to continue using the broadband access services.

"To sell triple-play services, we had to improve the quality of technical support significantly, including a radical revision of the information security service policy . However, technical methods of fighting malicious traffic are not enough, for there are hundreds of thousands of responsible and honest subscribers who, without knowing that, become victims to malefactors spreading malicious traffic. I.e., informing subscribers is an equally important aspect here, for with the development of the Internet, each of its users must know the rules of work in the net and be able to protect oneself and one's computer ", Anatoly Megvinov, Director of the Security Department of OJSC N.W.Telecom, noted.

Later on, the functions of OJSC N.W. Telecom 's network security threat detection and avoidance system will be expanded, mot only its operation area. Besides detecting malicious traffic, the system will be tracing unscrupulous subscribers who mail spam.