Computer Security Device Developed by BackboneSecurity.Com is Now Protecting ESU Telecom Services from Potential Hackers and is being used by the FBI

ESU's telecommunications system is now protected from hackers by a Ribcage, a firewall device created by BackboneSecurity.com, the first company to establish itself in ESU's Business Accelerator.

The virtual heart of East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania's Office of Telecommunications is now protected by a "Ribcage" – a unique technology that keeps financial and other information secure from hackers.

A firewall device, Ribcage is the creation of BackboneSecurity.com, the first company to establish itself in ESU's Business Accelerator and a firm that is certified by the National Security Agency. Indeed, Ribcage is used by the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center, hospitals and other institutions.

ESU's director of Telecommunications, Richard Bull, had been seeking a more cost–effective way to protect ESU telecommunications data and the university's information systems at its new Center for Enrollment Services. Bull approached Glenn Watt, BackboneSecurity.com's president and chief executive officer. Ribcage was the answer, says Watt, because it offers "a secure virtual private network." Adds Watt: "A hacker can't eavesdrop on it and gather important information like account number and name. We put in a lot of security checks to make sure an individual is authorized to use it."

Ribcage is protecting phone systems in the recently formed ESU Center for Enrollment Services, which encompasses Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and Records and Registration. "The Center for Enrollment Services is a new initiative, providing students with a one-stop shop for services," says Bull. "Ribcage is our means to ensure the security and privacy of the student information that is collected through these services."

For example, Telecom Services @ ESU produces billing information that ESU's Offices of Telecommunications uses for students wishing to purchase long distance plans. Signing up for the services through the Telecom Services @ ESU Web site, the students' method of payment is by credit card. "It's e–commerce, and it has to be very secure," says James Lockard, information technology analyst.

The need for newer and more efficient technology came about following a vulnerability assessment in January, when ESU's Office of Telecommunications learned it needed to strengthen its protection against potential hackers and viruses. During an initial discussion with Watt, Bull confirmed that BackboneSecurity.com could create a secure link from the university and its Web site to ESU's local telecommunications interconnect systems that were already in place.

"We're mandated by federal law that we cannot allow anybody to disclose certain information," says Bull, who obtained approval from ESU's local telecommunications provider as to Ribcage's compatibility. Other advantages became apparent: total installation time was minimal, there's virtually no maintenance, and system upgrades are accomplished automatically from BackboneSecurity.com's corporate site in Stroudsburg directly to the Ribcage.

Watt says the technology is much faster than its competitor, the list price of $7,995 is lower than other similar products, and lastly, the product is the creation of BackboneSecurity.com, a firm that is certified by the National Security Agency.

In deciding on Ribcage, Bull compares the system to what other schools have. "We are far ahead of the curve compared to a lot of other universities," he said. "This is the best product we found during our investigation that was manufactured by a company certified through the NSA. We are very satisfied."

Sidebar: ESU Graduate Was Instrumental to Ribcage Development

Instrumental to the development of Ribcage was an ESU computer science graduate – then an intern – who is now BackboneSecurity.com's lead engineer.

Marc Kurtz of East Stroudsburg began working at BackboneSecurity.com as an intern in January 2000 when one of his first projects was to create a firewall to meet the security needs of the United States Army. Working with other interns and employees, Kurtz wrote the bulk of the software for an existing protocol that would eventually be packaged as Ribcage. As it turned out he was the only staff member who worked on the on the project consistently from inception to completion.

"At first we did a lot of research, learning about the technology, and we started to develop some ideas," says Kurtz. "Then we did small 'proofs of concept' to show on a small scale that it was viable and feasible."

Now a lead engineer for BackboneSecurity.com and assigned only to Ribcage matters, Kurtz characterizes the device as a very stable product, easy to use, with very little set–up time required. Kurtz received his bachelor of science degree in 2000 in computer science, a field in which he is now pursuing a graduate degree at ESU.