* Updated Juniper operating system aims to better support VoIP apps
Juniper is upgrading the operating system for its IPSec VPN gear so it better supports VoIP, instant messaging and other peer-to-peer applications.
The company’s NetScreen Screen OS 5.2 has new support for network address translation for VoIP gear that uses the session initiation protocol for signaling, a complex configuration problem to accommodate the many firewall ports used in VoIP calls.
The software is also tuned to look for attacks that take advantage of SIP or the alternative H.323 signaling. For instance, the software can monitor for how often a device initiates SIP or H.323 calls and block those efforts if they exceed a set threshold.
Enhancements to the devices’ deep inspection capabilities make it possible to defend against attacks by limiting how applications can be used. By defining which groups, IP addresses or zones can use an application and how they can use it, the software can define acceptable use of applications and block other potentially malicious uses.
The company says it is also engaged in SIP interoperability testing so it can work with other vendors’ SIP gear. The company also says its gear is compatible with Avaya H.323 equipment.
While some of this is peripheral to the VPN functions of the boxes, they are all important to customers who use these gateways and are looking to adopt interactive IP applications. They help current customers protect the value of gear they have already bought and make it simpler to migrate to technologies such as VoIP by removing the complexity of dealing with firewall issues.
