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AT&T Consultant/Vendor Sales Group
UPDATE
ii nn ss ii dd ee .. .. ..
33Zombie Networks–Jerry Hinek
66AT&T BusinessDirect®
–Robert Sloan
88Data with David–Tom David
1122One Laptop per
Child–Nancy Grover
April 2007
N e w O p p o r t u n i t i e s
Continued on page 5
What a busy start to the year! Our mergerintegration with BellSouth continues to expand ourbusiness and consumer solutions portfolio. Local toglobal, we remain dedicated to providing the mostcomplete, secure and reliable networks for yourbusiness success.
In such a fast-changing industry, access to thelatest information is essential. Your Consultant Liaison Managerscertainly take the lead in keeping you informed, and we hope you alsofind value in this publication. And this year we are delighted to add tothat communications stream by offering you the opportunity to attendFOCUS seminars! FOCUS is a non-profit AT&T business user group thathas grown steadily by providing an active forum for communicationsusers and providers. FOCUS programs and events provide theprofessional advantage members need to stay on top of today’s industryevolution.
Earlier this year, we had a very successful FOCUS chapter meeting inAnaheim, California. Consultant Robert Harris from CommunicationsAdvantage said the event was “a great example of how the CLPprogram keeps me (and my team members) informed and supported,and ethically leverages the relationship that consultants have withclients.”
Also in Anaheim, consultants were invited to attend our NetworkingLeaders Forum. This full-day event gave consultants, customers andAT&T account teams the opportunity to discuss the critical businesscontinuity and network security issues businesses face today.Participants were able to observe as the AT&T Network DisasterRecovery (NDR) team conducted a test of our business continuityprocesses in the event of a network outage. Consultant Roy Walker,president of Walker Consulting LLC, remarked, “I was very impressedwith the event and appreciate knowing about these vital services.”
kk aa rr ii ’’ ss cc oo rr nn ee rr
2
UUPPDDAATTEE EEddiittoorrElaine [email protected]
CCoonnttrriibbuuttoorrssKari AguinaldoTom DavidNancy GroverJerry HinekRobert Sloan
LLaayyoouutt && DDeessiiggnnLillian CramAT&T MultiMedia Productions
PPuubblliisshheerrAT&T West BusinessCommunications ServicesSales Operations
iinn tthhiiss iissssuuee......
11Kari’s Corner by KariAguinaldo
33Zombie Networks by JerryHinek
66AT&T BusinessDirect® byRobert Sloan
88Data with David by TomDavid
1111CPUC Considers Area CodeChanges
1122One Laptop per Child –Bridging the Digital Divideby Nancy Grover
1144AT&T Yellow Pages MirrorsSocietal Changes
1155AT&T Tops All Competitors inLeading Analyst’s U.S.Carrier Assessment
A T & T C u s t o m e r S e r v i c eN u m b e r s
PPrree--MMeerrggeerr SSBBCC AArreeaass::
CCaalliiffoorrnniiaa SSaalleess && BBiilllliinngg RReeppaaiirr
Small Business 1-800-750-2355 611 or Toll-free1-800-750-2355
Medium Business 1-800-891-1800 611 or Toll-free1-800-332-1321
NNeevvaaddaa SSaalleess && BBiilllliinngg RReeppaaiirr
Business/Consumer 1-800-288-2020 1-877-469-2355
SSoouutthhwweesstt BBuussiinneessss
Sales 1-800-499-7928
Billing 1-800-559-7928
Repair 1-800-286-8313
MMiiddwweesstt SSmmaallll BBuussiinneessss SSmmaallll BBuussiinneessss SSaalleess && BBiilllliinngg RReeppaaiirr
Indiana 1-800-660-3000 1-800-727-2273
Wisconsin 1-800-660-3000 1-800-727-2273
Illinois 1-800-660-3000 1-800-727-2273
Ohio 1-800-660-3000 1-800-727-2273
Michigan 1-800-660-3000 1-800-727-2273
Español 1-800-426-2902
EEaasstt ((CCTT)) SSaalleess && BBiilllliinngg RReeppaaiirr
Business 1-800-448-1008 1-800-922-4646
PPrree--MMeerrggeerr AATT&&TT MMaassss MMaarrkkeett AArreeaass::Local and Long Distance Service: 1-800-222-0300
AT&T CallVantage Service: 1-866-596-8464
AT&T Worldnet and DSL Service: 1-800-WORLDNET (1-800-967-5363)
AATT&&TT AAllaassccoomm ((AAllaasskkaa)):: Business Services: 1-800-955-9556
3
jj ee rr rr yy hh ii nn ee kk
Z o m b i e N e t w o r k s
One of theprimary tools in thecyber wars wagedagainst each of usevery day is thezombie. A zombie isa personalcomputer whoseprocessing time and
capabilities are taken over anonymouslyand remotely by a hostile stranger, forpersonal enrichment, at the expense ofthe computer owner.
A zombie network can consist ofthousands of zombies controlled by oneperson. A zombie can be used to attackother computers, to send spam or todisrupt other normal activities. If youhaven’t taken care to protect yourself,your own computer could be a zombie.
Zombies are an evolutionary by-product in the development of computerviruses. The first viruses were writtensimply to be disruptive. New technology,new computers and new virustechniques, along with the profitpotential, lead to the creation of virusesthat create zombies.
Computer viruses have always hadthree main components: infection, self-replication and payload.
IInnffeeccttiioonnJust as an organic virus infects human
beings, a computer virus infects itsvictims in the course of normalactivities. Shaking hands or flying on anairplane with a sick person can lead to acold or flu. Having your computerconnected to the Internet, opening emailor surfing infected websites can lead toa computer virus.
The virus infection takes place withoutany direct awareness by the infectedperson or system. We wouldn’t chooseto become infected or to have ourcomputers infected.
Of course, where this analogy breaksdown is that while viruses in humans area product of natural selection, computer
viruses are purposefully designed,written and modified. Those writing theviruses have goals in mind, and theirskill in writing the virus determines howsuccessful they will be in achieving theirgoals. For both kinds of virus there areprecautions you can take beforeinfection, and things you can do afterinfection, to lessen the pain or hastenthe recovery. The last half of this articlediscusses protecting yourself.
SSeellff--RReepplliiccaattiioonnIt’s just a technical problem to write a
computer virus to infect a computer. Insome ways it’s no different than writingany other software except that theperson who owns the target computermay have to be tricked into allowing thevirus into the computer.
Early viruses spread when peopleshared infected 3.5 inch diskettes. Thisprocess took time, and viruses spreadslowly. The cycle would start with a viruswriter infecting a diskette that had someattractive file or game or other softwarethat an unknowing person might want torun. Then the virus writer would give thediskette to someone who would load theinfected diskette into a PC and infect it.Then the infected PC would infect otherdiskettes that were passed around andloaded into other PCs.
The Internet has enabled viruses tospread almost instantly around theglobe. They can hit and infect avulnerable computer, replicatethemselves and attack other computersmany times a second. Even with goodanti-virus software, a new virus mayinfect a computer before updates areavailable to clean the virus or to protectuninfected computers.
PPaayyllooaaddSo why do virus writers write viruses?
Motivation is personal, and virus writershave different motives. Early viruseswere written for three primary purposes:for the challenge, to disrupt or annoy a
A zombie isa personalcomputerwhoseprocessingtime andcapabilitiesare takenoveranonymouslyand remotelyby a hostilestranger, forpersonalenrichment,at theexpense ofthecomputerowner.
Continued on page 4
4
person, and to destroy the informationon a computer. That was the limit of thetechnology at the time.
As virus writers developed techniquesto exploit technological advances and tostay ahead of the anti-virus industry,they got better at spreading theirviruses. They discovered ways to profit,and they got greedy. Some may stillwrite viruses for the challenge, but mostviruses are written not to destroy or toannoy, but to steal computer capabilitiesremotely, and to cash in.
Zombie networks can be made tosend out newer viruses or spam andphishing that generate great profits ifeven a small number of recipientsrespond. These networks can also bebought and sold or rented to others.
HHooww aa CCoommppuutteerr BBeeccoommeess aaZZoommbbiieeTo stay ahead of the anti-virus
industry, virus writers incorporate hackertechniques and tools. In fact, a lot ofviruses are merely automated hackingplus the ability to replicate.
Hackers look for vulnerabilities inoperating systems and commonsoftware, and then they look for ways toexploit any weaknesses. They do that bypushing legitimate software to its designlimitations to find anything that thewriter didn’t think to handle. It can be assimple as putting a 25-character nameinto a field that was only designed for24, or as complicated as sending anetwork signal that appears to conformto protocol but is constructed to bypasssecurity. Tactics from the simple to thecomplex may break the software oroperating system and give the hackerthe privileges of the owner oradministrator.
Hackers have their own networks forinformation sharing. They brag about thevulnerabilities they’ve found and sharetheir techniques and tools for exploitand attack.
Virus writers take some of these toolsand techniques and incorporate theminto viruses. An attack may hit athousand computers, and infect ten.That creates ten zombies that can bemade to attack another thousandcomputers each.
When a computer is infected it maycontact a computer owned by themalicious attacker anywhere in theworld and ask for further instructions.The attacker then loads more malicioussoftware. With enough computers undercontrol, the zombies become a powerfultool for attack.
PPrrootteeccttiinngg YYoouurrsseellffProtecting your computer and
network from hostile attacks is one ofthe areas in life where enlightened self-interest aligns with the common good. Ifyou protect your computer you can’teasily be attacked, and you won’t likelyhave your computer attacking others. Ifwe all take responsibility for our ownsecurity we will get the most benefitfrom our investments in our computers.
SSooffttwwaarree UUppddaatteessBoth operating systems and
application software normally containweaknesses in their designs that hackersexploit. Oversight or lack of training onthe part of the software developerscontributes to the problem, as does thefact that operating systems andapplications are written by teams ofpeople, are very complex, and cancontain millions of lines of code. Thereare many ways to attack software, andthe larger the program, the more pointsof attack there are.
As vulnerabilities in software becomeknown, the companies that develop andsell software release updates thatattempt to patch weaknesses. This is adouble-edged sword because release ofa patch lets hackers know there is anopportunity for attack. It’s always in yourown interest to keep your PC up to datewith any security-related patches. Youmay not care about a patch that fixesprocessing of daylight savings time inAustralia, but you should care about apatch that closes a security hole.
The majority of people use Windows®software. Windows can be set to updateitself automatically. Make sure thatfunction is enabled for your PC.
FFiirreewwaallllssGood firewalls do two things: they
make it difficult for hostile attackers toreach your system, and they can preventan infected computer from sendingmessages to unknown computers
Some maystill writeviruses for
thechallenge,but most
viruses arewritten not
to destroy orto annoy, but
to stealcomputer
capabilitiesremotely, and
to cash in.
Continued from page 3
5
FOCUS opportunities are available inNorthern California as well. Don’t missthe upcoming chapter meetings in SanFrancisco April 24th and in SacramentoApril 25th. The agenda includes:
• IP technology update and training byindustry experts Hill & Associates
• Forward-looking view of theIT/telecom industry by NemertesResearch
• Interactive demonstrations by Avaya,Nortel, Cisco and others
• Networking opportunities with yourpeers
For those of you able to attendFOCUS in Sacramento, we have a specialopportunity. Sacramento is home to oneof two AT&T Network Operating Centersin California (the other is in San Diego).The NOC is responsible for surveillance,provisioning, and integrity of the AT&T
core network. A special tour has beenarranged for consultants immediatelyfollowing the Sacramento FOCUSmeeting. If you are interested, pleasecontact your Liaison Manager at 1-800-552-5299 to reserve your place.
We hope these new trainingopportunities help ensure continuedsuccess for your company, because – asalways – your success is our success!
KKaarrii AAgguuiinnaallddoo
CVSG [email protected]
KARI’S CORNER – Continued from page 1
anywhere in the world. Your computershould only communicate with theInternet at your will.
Firewalls are readily available. You canpurchase them at most retail electronicsstores. Software firewalls and networkrouters with Stateful Packet Inspection(SPI) firewalls are inexpensive to buy andto install.
AAnnttii--vviirruuss SSooffttwwaarreeMost people have easy access to free
or inexpensive anti-virus software fromtheir Internet Service Providers. Anti-virus software is available in retailstores, office supply stores, warehouseclubs and computer stores. Anti-virussoftware can also protect you fromphishing and spyware. It’s worth yourtime to get it and run it.
RReessttoorree PPooiinnttssNewer operating systems allow you to
restore your computer configuration tothe way it looked on a previous date. Incase of infection or failure, it can behelpful to know how to go back to thetime before the problems arose. Thatwon’t always work, but if it does it cansave a lot of headaches in cleaning your
computer. Learn how to create a restorepoint on your computer and how torecover your computer to a restorepoint.
BBaacckk UUpp YYoouurr CCoommppuutteerrBacking up a computer is one of
people’s favorite things not to do, eventhough there are so many reasons to doit. There’s a delusion that if things aregoing well today they will go welltomorrow. Not only can a back-up saveyour day if you lose your computer oryour hard drive crashes, it can meansuccess or failure with importantprofessional or personal projects storedon the PC.
The zombies really are out to get you.They’re real and they don’t sleep. Byprotecting your own computers you cansave yourself and others from thedisruption and damage of zombieattacks.
JJeerrrryy HHiinneekk,, CCIISSSSPPSenior Business Security ManagerAT&T Information Services
Goodfirewalls dotwo things:they make itdifficult forhostileattackers toreach yoursystem, andthey canprevent aninfectedcomputerfrom sendingoutmessages tounknowncomputersanywhere inthe world.
6
AT&TBusinessDirect®
Mapdelivers
point-and-click
networkmanagementcapabilities
atop aninteractiveworld map,in real-time.
rr oo bb ee rr tt ss ll oo aa nn
This industryteaches us thatcustomers thinkabout telecommanagement as asingle, integrated
experience involving network monitoringand management, inventorymanagement, ordering, billing, andtroubleshooting – and not as separateor individual tasks. This key principleinspired our most innovative tool todate, AT&T BusinessDirect® Map.
The first of its kind in the industry,AT&T BusinessDirect Map is the onlymap-based servicing tool to offer aconsistent, fully-integrated experienceacross multiple telecom functions andacross multiple services.
AT&T BusinessDirect Map deliverspoint-and-click network managementcapabilities atop an interactive worldmap, in real-time. It empowerscustomers to monitor their network andtrunk performance; obtain trunk andcarrier outage notifications; create andtrack trouble tickets; view and manageinventory; and place and track orders. In2006, the tool was expanded to includeevery country where AT&T providesservice. Because it resides on AT&T’saward-winning business portal, secure24/7 access is assured.
AT&T BusinessDirect Map is designedto mirror the way customers dobusiness. It first presents customers with“the big picture” – their AT&T servicenetwork and its overall performance.
A T & T B u s i n e s s D i r e c t ®
MMoonniittoorriinngg aanndd MMaannaaggiinngg YYoouurr NNeettwwoorrkk IIss aass EEaassyyaass PPooiinntt aanndd CClliicckk
7
AT&TBusinessDirect®Map . . .allowscustomers to. . . checkinventory,order, reactto changesin theirnetwork, orreporttrouble.
Power becomes available only when you know exactly what youwant . . . and are fully determined not to quit until you get it.
– Alexander Graham Bell
Then, through the use of its point-and-click capabilities, it allows customers todrill down to the underlying networkdetails from which they can checkinventory, order, react to changes intheir network, or report trouble.
The AT&T BusinessDirect Map ControlCenter (page 6) serves as the maincommunication hub from the portalhome page. It gives customers proactivestatus on all major telecom functions:ordering, maintenance, and networkperformance. Specifically, StatusIndicators change from “grayed-out” to“highlighted” to alert customers abouttheir ordering status (e.g. pending order,jeopardy order); maintenance status (e.g.circuit ticket, partial outage); andnetwork status (e.g. over-utilization.)
AT&T BusinessDirect Map alsoprovides customers with their Inventory(see below) in three different ways: 1)atop a graphical world map with zoomcapabilities that drill down to the streetnames of domestic territories or to thepostal/city level of international
locations; 2) via a hierarchical treeorganized by sites/locations; and 3) viainventory reports (e.g. Location SummaryReports, Circuit Summary Reports, APNReports, and VPN Site Lists.)
The Integration of an Other Toolsfeature within AT&T BusinessDirect Maplets customers seamlessly transitionbetween inventory, ordering, andmaintenance tasks, eliminating the needto open and close multiple tools. Itallows data (e.g. circuit numbers) for useon orders and trouble tickets to be pre-populated directly from the inventorydatabase.
To learn more about the extensivefeatures and applications of AT&TBusinessDirect Map, visit att.com/ebcc.
RRoobbeerrtt SSllooaannVice PresidentAT&T eSales & Service
8
AT&T VPNis the
evolutionaryresult ofAT&T’s
strategicdirection to
providenetwork-based IPservices.
dd aa tt aa ww ii tt hh dd aa vv ii dd
Businesscustomers todayincreasingly rely onIP-based technologyto reduce the cost oftheir network, and toprovide increasedbandwidth,
performance and functionality.Competitive pressures have also placeda greater emphasis on networkprotection, profitability and productivity.The AT&T Multi-Protocol Label Switching(MPLS) based Virtual Private Network(VPN) service provides all the benefits ofa private network—security, service levelagreements, manageability, scalabilityand reliability—at a lower cost.
WWhhaatt iiss AATT&&TT VViirrttuuaall PPrriivvaatteeNNeettwwoorrkk ((AAVVPPNN))??AT&T VPN is the evolutionary result of
AT&T’s strategic direction to providenetwork-based IP services. Our strategyis to create a single network-based VPNservice with a robust set of features toallow customers the flexibility to choosethe options they require without theneed to migrate from one network VPNservice to another. AVPN has beendesigned to include the best featuresfrom our IPeFR/ATM, PNT, EVPN andNVPN services; however, it will take timefor AVPN to reach feature parity with allof these VPNs.
AVPN is a network-based MPLSservice. It enables customers to build anapplication aware, virtual privatenetwork to link locations and efficientlytransmit voice, data, and video over asingle connection. AVPN leverages ourhighly scaled OC-192 domestic AT&T IPNetwork—also called Common BackBone (CBB)—the same way thatIPeFR/ATM does today. However, AVPNalso makes use of private provider edge(PE) routers. This means that they arenot used for Internet access servicesand no Internet routes are contained inthe routing tables. While AVPN providesMPLS service to customers, we also usethis technology in our core network to
keep traffic from private MPLS VPNservices separate from Internet traffic.
AVPN has options that appeal tocustomers of all sizes in all markets.Customers typically choose network-based IP VPN services like AT&T VPN inthe following situations:
• They need simplified meshed/semi-meshed communications.
• They need a more efficient disasterrecovery plan for their hub site(s).
• They want to reduce complexity intheir network.
• They are rolling out new IPapplications like Enterprise ResourcePlanning and/or are establishingbusiness-to-business extranetconnections.
• They are looking for robust featuressuch as the ability to mix and matchport protocols and access options.
AAVVPPNN SSeerrvviiccee CCoommppoonneennttssThe primary AVPN service
components are MPLS ports. An MPLSport provides the connection between asupported AVPN access arrangementand the AT&T network. The MPLS portspeed is the maximum rate fortransmission of data through the MPLSport. AT&T MPLS ports are available in avariety of protocols, and the availabilityof specific port speeds will vary byprotocol. Currently, available port speedsrange from 56k through OC12 and weare developing provisions for Ethernetup to GigE. Customers have the optionof choosing AT&T stand-alone accessproducts or providing their own accessfrom other sources. AT&T VPN has aflexible set of access protocol optionsthat may be used to connect to an MPLSport. They include ATM, DedicatedPrivate Line, Frame Relay and DSL(where available). Ethernet MPLS portand access options are futureenhancements.
AT&T VPN is generally available acrossthe United States, including Hawaii,Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
9
It is not yet available in Alaska.International capabilities in 42 countriesare in controlled introduction.
MPLS ports, MPLS DSL accessconnections and AT&T VPN optionalfeatures are billed at fixed monthlyrecurring charges based on the portspeed selected and, if applicable, classof service (CoS) charges. Discountpricing plans are available based uponrevenue and term commitments.
AAVVPPNN AAddddrreesssseess CCuussttoommeerrss’’NNeettwwoorrkkiinngg NNeeeeddssAVPN addresses a number of critical
IP VPN business networking needs:
• AAnnyy--ttoo--aannyy ccoonnnneeccttiivviittyy – AVPNenables communications between anytwo sites (regardless of the types ofAVPN ports at the sites) in a specificcustomer VPN, eliminating the needfor tandem routing and defined virtualchannels between sites. Growth nolonger requires resizing andrebalancing of multiple Private VirtualCircuits (PVCs). Additional sites cansimply be added to the VPN and AT&Twill manage IP core capacity. (Seebelow.)
• PPrriioorriittiizzaattiioonn ooff ttrraaffffiicc – AVPNprovides customers a very flexibletraffic prioritization scheme throughnetwork-based class of service (CoS).Customers can choose from fourdifferent CoS profiles to establishtheir application mix.
• IIPP--bbaasseedd ddiissaasstteerr rreeccoovveerryy – AVPNprovides customers with dynamic IPdisaster recovery via Border GatewayProtocol (eBGP) which allows loadbalancing across six discreteCustomer Edge-Provider Edgeconnections as well as supportingseveral redundancy options forcarrying primary and backup routes.
• SSiimmpplliiffiieess ccuussttoommeerr pprreemmiisseeeeqquuiippmmeenntt ((CCPPEE)) ccoonnffiigguurraattiioonn nneeeeddss– When adding an additional site,customers need only reconfigure the
Thebackbonenetwork isdesignedwith nosingle pointof failure inthe corearchitecture.
new site router, unlike a Layer 2 PVCnetwork, in which both the hub andthe remote site’s routers must bereconfigured. This can result in CPEequipment savings of up to 50% dueto the need for fewer and smallerrouters at each site.
OOuurr VVaalluuee PPrrooppoossiittiioonnAT&T introduced the first MPLS service
in 1998 and has continued to lead theindustry with the largest MPLS networksin the world. AT&T VPN provides severalmajor advantages:
• RReelliiaabbiilliittyy – The backbone network isdesigned with no single point offailure in the core architecture.
• NNeettwwoorrkk ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee – The AT&Tnetwork provides buffers to ensurecustomers with large datatransmission needs do not impact theperformance of customers with lessdemanding transmission requirements.Network performance reports allowcustomers to monitor and measuretheir network. Customers will haveaccess to reports ordered fordesignated service components viathe AT&T BusinessDirect® portal.
• NNeettwwoorrkk ddeessiiggnn ssuuppppoorrtt – AT&Tnetwork design consultants candesign an optimal performing networkfor customers using VPN networks tointegrate legacy and client/serverapplications under a single networkbackbone.
• SSeeccuurriittyy – AT&T VPN Service offersthe level of security that customershave come to expect from traditionalFrame Relay/ATM services, but alsoextends that security into the IP VPNenvironment. MPLS provides forgreater security through the creationand assignment of unique VirtualNetwork Routing and Forwarding(VRF) tables to each customer’s VPN.This offers the same level of privacyas a network designed with ATM or FR
Continued on page 10
10
Businesscustomers
will find theycan save
money ontheir
networkutilizing anIP-basedsolution.
PVCs, because users in a specific IPVPN cannot see traffic outside their IPVPN.
• RReedduucceedd nneettwwoorrkk ccoommpplleexxiittyy –Network communications aresimplified through a reducedrequirement for the complex CPErouting tables that enable “fullymeshed” communications. Instead ofthe multiple IP to Data Link ControlInterconnection (DLCI) addressesrequired for meshed PVC networks,only a single IP address is required toroute all traffic across the network.
• RRoobbuusstt mmeesshheedd ccoonnnneeccttiivviittyy – Theservice is cost effective for customersrequiring even a moderate degree ofmeshed or any-to-any connectivitybetween multiple locations. Forexample, a 25-site network requiringfully meshed connectivity wouldrequire 300 PVCs to accomplish theconnectivity provided by 25 AVPNMPLS connections. This offersconsiderable cost savings overtraditional Frame Relay-type services.
• EElliimmiinnaatteess tthhee nneeeedd ffoorr ttaannddeemmrroouuttiinngg – Eliminating tandem routingreduces potential port congestion.
• SSuuppeerriioorr ssccaallaabbiilliittyy – Adding newlocations or CPE to the customer’snetwork requires significantly lesseffort than would be required in acomparable meshed Frame Relay orInternet Virtual Tunneling network
• IIPP aawwaarreenneessss – The service allows theuser to define the priority of differentapplications and assign theappropriate class of service to eachapplication at each location withinthe customer’s network. Real timeclass of service is supported throughseparate queuing in the AT&T GlobalIP network, ensuring that trafficdelivery is reliable and highperforming.
• FFlleexxiibbllee aacccceessss ooppttiioonnss – The varietyof access arrangements available tousers simplifies the addition andsupport of remote users, as well asallowing for access by approvedexternal organizations.
• CCoosstt eeffffiicciieenncciieess - AT&T VPN supportsUnilink as an optional feature whichprovides the ability to supportmultiple Logical Channels on a single
MPLS Port.
• MMuullttiiccaasstt – AT&T VPN Multicast allowscustomers to send data from oneMPLS port to multiple customer MPLSports with a Multicast-enabled VPN.Applications include corporatebroadcasts, file transfers, videoconferencing and training.
• DDiivveerrssiittyy ooppttiioonnss – AT&T VPN supportsthe automatic rerouting capability ofMPLS and two diversity options. TheService Diversity Option ensures thatports are provisioned on diverseswitches/PE routers within the sameswitch POP. The switch POP Diversityoption guarantees that ports areprovisioned on diverse switches indiverse switch POP’s.
• SSeerrvviiccee LLeevveell AAggrreeeemmeennttss – Some ofthe industry’s most aggressive SLAsdefine our customers’ expectednetwork performance and cover on-time provisioning, availability/repairtime, delivery rates and latency.
• BBuuiilltt--iinn ddiissaasstteerr rreeccoovveerryy – Becauseit’s IP-based, networks can be kept upand running more simply in the eventof site or network outages.
• IInnvveessttmmeenntt pprrootteeccttiioonn – AT&T VPN isour strategic network service. FutureAT&T feature and optionenhancements will be on thisplatform.
Business customers will find they cansave money on their network utilizing anIP-based solution. AVPN offersapplication awareness for trafficprioritization, scalability, and MPLS-based architecture. It providesweb-based tools for reporting andsupporting network and end users, andhas industry-leading service levelagreements. With features to match theunique needs of our customers’requirements, AT&T VPN offerseconomical, reliable and seamlesscommunications domestically andinternationally.
TToomm DDaavviiddLiaison [email protected]
Continued from page 9
11
Recognizing that there may soon be ashortage of available telephone numbersin the 714 and 760 area codes, theCalifornia Public Utilities Commission(CPUC) plans to issue a decision laterthis year regarding what type of areacode change is appropriate for theregion.
Traditionally, area codes have beensplit to provide more prefixes for thetelecommunications industry and itscustomers, creating smaller geographicareas. Area code splits create new areacodes by splitting a geographical regionin multiple ways. Only one area code isassigned to a particular geographicalregion. If this type of change isauthorized by the CPUC, some peoplewill be able to retain the original area
code, while others will have to changeto the new area code.
The alternative is an area codeoverlay. An overlay is a form of areacode change that adds area code(s) tothe same geographic region, so multiplearea codes co-exist within the sameregion. In this scenario, customers retaintheir current telephone number(s) andarea code. Additional telephonenumbers or telecommunications servicesmay be given telephone numbers withthe new area code.
More information is available athttp://www.cpuc.ca.gov, in theTelecommunications Proceedingssection.
C P U C C o n s i d e r sA r e a C o d e C h a n g e s
READ THE WORLD OVER
DDiicckk KKuueehhnn,, PPrreessiiddeenntt ooff RRAAKK CCoonnssuullttiinngg,, ccaattcchheess uupp oonn iimmppoorrttaanntt rreeaaddiinngg aasstthhee tteerrrraaccoottttaa aarrmmyy ooff tthhee ffiirrsstt QQiinn eemmppeerroorr llooookkss oonn.Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China.
12
The goal isto enable
schoolchildren toconnect to
theirclassmates
andteachers,even in aremote
setting, toimprove
prospectsand
ultimatelylives.
nn aa nn cc yy gg rr oo vv ee rr
O n e L a p t o p p e r C h i l d –B r i d g i n g t h e D i g i t a l D i v i d e
The One Laptopper Child (OLPC)project gives theworld’s poorestchildren laptops oftheir own so theycan take advantageof the opportunitiescomputers and the
Internet offer. The goal is to enableschool children to connect to theirclassmates and teachers, even in aremote setting, to improve prospectsand ultimately lives. Since MIT’s MediaLab first unveiled the quirky lookinglaptop students receive through OLPC inNovember 2005, it has gained manyfans among computer and securitygeeks.
Brazil, Thailand, Argentina, Libya,Nigeria, Rwanda and Uruguay areparticipating in OLPC, and many morenations are lining up. The laptop’smanufacturer, Quanta Computer (whoalso makes notebooks for Apple, Delland HP), has received one million orders.The objective is to eventually sell 100million XO’s.
This is quite a noble undertaking to besure. But just how do the OLPC peopleplan to secure the computers? Millionsof XO’s could mean millions of newhacker targets. So just how will the folksat MIT protect them? The child whoowns the XO probably can’t run nextdoor to get help from the neighborhoodcomputer guru.
HHooww TThheeyy WWoorrkkEven though the machine looks like a
toy, the XO is anything but. Its thick,plastic case is dirt and moistureresistant. There are no motor-drivenparts, no hard drives, no CD/DVD orfloppy drives, no fans, and it can operatewithout electricity.
What the XO does have is a nifty 7.5-inch LCD screen that can switchbetween a low-resolution color and ahigher-resolution black and white
display. It boasts a camera, amicrophone capable of enabling clearvideo calls, 126 MB of RAM, 512 MB offlash memory, and a long-lasting batterythat can be charged using a cord, a carbattery or foot-operated generator. Andit includes built-in WiFi with an amazingrange.
A conventional wireless network onlyhandles traffic within its local wirelesscloud. Each node transmits and receivesits own data, but packets are not routedbetween nodes unless allowed tocommunicate directly. The XO, on theother hand, uses an extended-rangechipset to form a wireless meshnetwork.
So, whenever the laptop is poweredon, it participates in a mobile ad-hocnetwork, with each node operating inpeer-to-peer fashion with other XOlaptops it can “hear’ (think daisy-chain).If just one computer in the cloud hasaccess to the Internet, all the computersin the mesh can share that access. Thedata rate isn’t high, but it’s more thansufficient for classroom applications,web browsing and streaming videowithin its own network.
The XO uses a locked down Linuxoperating system and a unique userinterface called Sugar, which was jointlydesigned by Red Hat and Pentagram. Ifthe project goes according to plan,Sugar could become one of the mostcommon platforms in the world. This ofcourse leads to that other problem.With so many children using the sametype of computer, the XO could be set tobecome a primary target for rogue code,DOS attacks and botnets. But that’swhere BitFrost comes in.
BBiittFFrroossttThe XO does not rely on antivirus
software, firewalls, or even passwordsfor protection. Instead, it depends on anew security model called BitFrost.BitFrost requires each program to run onits own, with a limited set of permissions
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“There aremultitudes ofpeople inrural orsuburbanareas whohave plentyto eat andreasonableaccommoda-tions.What thesepeople don’thave is adecent shotat a goodeducation.”
that will not interact with otherprograms or the operating systemkernel. This means that a wordprocessing program cannot access theWeb, and the Internet browser cannotinteract with the word processingprogram. So even if a hacker uses anexploit to gain control of the wordprocessor, he will be unable to use theInternet to view, change or extract theuser’s documents. The OLPC teamcontrasts this with Windows XP whereeven the game of Solitaire haspermissions to access the web, sendemail, and open a picture viewer.BitFrost would simply deny the Solitairegame from doing anything other thanbeing a card game.
The idea of limiting applicationpermissions isn’t new. In fact, theconcept dates all the way back to 1959.It was never widely adopted because itput the burden on application writers toincorporate security into their code. But,by limiting permissions along with thesecured operating system, virus andmalware writers will have a difficult timedeploying their code onto the XO. Evenif something does corrupt one of theapplications or the machine, BitFrostcalls for a trivial reinstall of theoperating system to put the machineback into a fully functioning state. And itdoes this with no user interaction.
BitFrost does have a drawback,though. Because it limits interactionsbetween applications, applications mustwork independently of each other. Butaccording to Ivan Krstic, architect ofBitFrost, “This kind of model makes itmore difficult for glue betweenapplications, but 99 percent don’t needglue.”
Theft is a real concern, especially inareas where gray markets abound. Tohelp make sure each XO stays with itsassigned child, an anti-theft system hasbeen designed to make stolen laptopsvirtually useless. Each XO is assigned anencrypted “lease”, or temporary license.Each time the laptop connects to theInternet, it checks in with a country-specific server to see if the laptop hasbeen reported stolen. If not, the lease isextended. If the laptop is stolen, or thelease expires, the XO’s Internetconnectivity becomes deactivated and
the computer eventually becomes un-operational — a virtual brick.
So where can you get your very ownXO? You can’t. The XO is slated to besold through government agencies ofdeveloping countries only. Therefore, thelaptop is not available to children in theU.S., Britain, France, or other developednations, not even for those childrenwhose families are too poor to buy acomputer. And that is just one of thecriticisms of the project.
Another issue is the money. Eventhough the machines sell for about$100, there are other costs involved,such as teacher training, curriculumdevelopment, maintenance, and Internetaccess. Many critics are questioning thecosts, saying that poor people needfood and shelter, not laptops. The OLPCsays that while this is true, “There aremultitudes of people in rural orsuburban areas who have plenty to eatand reasonable accommodations. Whatthese people don’t have is a decent shotat a good education.”
Even with all the concerns, the peoplebehind OLPC are continuing to do whatthey do best — bring technology to themasses and give school children in thepoorest communities an opportunity tofreely explore, experiment and expressthemselves. Surely a noble cause.
For more information about the OLPCproject, visit http://www.laptop.org/.
NNaannccyy GGrroovveerrRegional ManagerAT&T Corporate Information Security
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Livery stables were all the rage in thelate 19th century, when the nation’s firstbusiness directories started rolling offthe press. Fast-forward to today, whenanimal chiropractic services, onlineschools and meal preparationcompanies have become so popular, thenation’s largest publisher of YellowPages directories by revenue hascreated new categories for them.
The addition of a new heading is nottaken lightly at the company. It happens
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
Pho
to courtesy of SB
C Archives and History Center,
San Antonio, Texas
SSaann DDiieeggoo IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn OOppeerraattoorr SShhoowwiinngg CCaarroouusseellss ooff LLiissttiinnggss ((11993300ss))
“AT&T ranksthe highest inour overallscorecard,because it hasput thecapabilitiestogether todeliver high-endprofessionalandcommunicationsservices tolargemultinationalcompanies.”
According to Yankee Group’s 2007 U.S.International Carrier Scorecard, AT&Ttopped a large field oftelecommunications service providers —including Verizon Business, OrangeBusiness Services, Qwest, British Telecom,NTT, Global Crossing and Sprint — in astudy that analyzed the competitors’apparent capabilities vs. stated customerobjectives.
Yankee Group identified and measuredthe leading carriers relative to theirapparent capabilities to meet enterprises’demands for increasingly flexible services.The areas examined included businessand services infrastructure, Service LevelAgreement (SLA) strategies, networkreach, ability to deliver consistentservices on a global basis, service mixand migration alignment. AT&T rankedthe highest overall because of its provenability to deliver high-end professionaland communications services to largemultinational companies.
In Yankee Group’s summary scorecard,AT&T was the only telecommunicationsprovider to receive the highest rating(“superior”) in four categories: businessand services infrastructure, SLA
strategies, network reach and service mix.
According to Yankee Group’s U.S.International Carrier Scorecard, the recentBellSouth merger has given AT&T thepotential to fully integrate wireline andwireless services on its owninfrastructure, further advancing itscompetitive position.
“AT&T ranks the highest in our overallscorecard, because it has put thecapabilities together to deliver high-endprofessional and communicationsservices to large multinationalcompanies,” noted H. Paris Burstyn,director of Communications andConverged Services, Enterprise Research,Yankee Group.
“Our position in this Yankee GroupCarrier Scorecard represents acontinuation of the industry’s validationof our business strategy,” said MarkKeiffer, Chief Marketing Officer, BusinessServices, AT&T. “We continue to work veryhard to deliver the most powerfulbusiness networks, applications andcapabilities that drive real value for ourglobal enterprise customers.”
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