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Broadband & Mobile Featured Article

April 28, 2008

ICSA Labs to Test Security of New Cellular and IP Technologies at IPsec


ICSA Labs, an independent division of Verizon (News - Alert) Business, plans to test the security aspects of new cellular and Internet protocol technologies at the fourth annual Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) forum next month.


To be held by ICSA Labs May 19-23 in San Antonio, Texas, the event is designed to enable security vendors to test new products that work with the latest security-related protocol, the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2). ICSA Labs will focus on testing two new technologies, femtocells and IPv6.

Small mobile base stations, femtocells enable standard cellular devices to connect to a mobile carrier’s network through a broadband connection. The result is more capacity and improved service, especially indoors.

This emerging technology is rapidly advancing to market and as a result, ISCA Labs testing will assist vendors in verifying that femtocell devices being offered and used are actually secure and interoperable. 

As the next-generation protocol for the Internet, IPv6 is one key attribute of this technology that offers built-in security functionality. ICSA Labs will use the forum to test the interoperability of IPsec for IPv6 to help companies to prepare their networks as they move from IPv4, the current Internet standard.

IPv6 is expected to pick up momentum in the coming months, according to industry experts. By June 30, all federal government agencies must add IPv6 capabilities as mandated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). IPv6 is designed to support a virtually unlimited number of IP addresses, which is a critical need as the number of networks and devices using the Internet continues to grow.

"Our previous forums have been extremely successful, enabling vendors to collect valuable data about their products and learn how they work with other products," said George Japak, managing director, ICSA Labs, in a Monday statement.

"Many vendors have continued their commitment to providing secure and interoperable products by certifying their IPsec IKEv2 products with ICSA Labs."

The anticipated transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is expected to bring significant capabilities as its functionality is extended beyond current offerings. The challenge will be for organizations in both the government and commercial sectors to effectively make the switch in ways that are seamless for users.

Security is also of great concern, both in the new standard and with femtocell technologies. Too often, advances in security technologies are offset by new threats and carriers must be able to anticipate these threats so they can be adequately avoided.

For more information about the ICSA Labs IKEv2 Interoperability Workshop IV, please visit http://www.icsalabs.com/ipsec.

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.
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