Company: AT&T Corp., Bedminster, NJ
Company Description: Based in Bedminster, NJ., AT&T is a global networking company focused on serving business customers. Recognized by the world’s leading CIOs as their global IT provider and networking integrator of choice, AT&T serves the local and global communications needs of more than 4 million public and private- sector businesses and governments in more than 850 cities across 60 countries.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best New Product or Service

Nomination Title: AT&T Internet Protect

   1. Tell the story of this nominated product or service (up to 500 words): its function, its features and benefits, and how it differs from competitive offerings. Include in your description the date in 2004 on which this product or service was introduced to the U.S. marketplace:

AT&T Internet Protect(sm), an example of networking innovation that allows AT&T to detect viruses and worms weeks before they affect a customer's network, was AT&T’s top technology innovation/achievement in 2004.  Introduced to the U.S. market on March 22, 2004, AT&T Internet Protect is a security alerting and
notification service that offers advanced information regarding potential real-time
attacks (viruses, worms and DDOS attacks) that are in the early formulation
stages. AT&T Internet Protect provides a breakthrough in intrusion prevention that
offers an additional method of protection for enterprises. By utilizing AT&T's IP
backbone as a proxy of general Internet traffic and analyzing IP backbone traffic
and utilizing heuristics and statistical models, this service can predict and
profile potential malicious activity.

Fundamentally, AT&T Internet Protect eliminates the problem of clean-up and
repair after the attack has hit, and most importantly the lost productivity of down
time as a result of an attack – because AT&T Internet Protect is designed to
identify attacks before they hit.

This is important to customers because down time translates directly into lost
productivity and opportunity.  And in some cases even expenses to the
corporation to repair its network in the event of a cyber attack. 

The cycle of security and benefits unfolds as follows:

1. AT&T Internet Protect protects and patrols AT&T’s leading global
network
2. AT&T’s unparalleled protected network forms the basis of an Internet
Protect service that alerts and shields its customers networks from threats
3. AT&T provides the tools to take action against the nascent threat

AT&T Internet Protect provides real time intelligence and protection for the
detection of large scale network based attacks before they cause widespread
damage.  Another benefit of the services is that users are communicated to in any
and many ways regarding threats -- from accessing the AT&T Internet Protect
portal, to cell-phone, pager and email. 

Customers can use to this information to filter and remediate potential attacks. In
addition, AT&T Internet Protect contains essential security information such as top
vulnerabilities, recent patch releases and other security "need-to-know" facts. As
part of this service, AT&T provides customers notification regarding identified
critical malicious activity and provides recommended immediate action to be taken
by the customer.  AT&T’s Internet Protect is a proactive service in a fairly
reactive industry.  Customers benefit by staying ahead of growing cyber threats to their network. 

What makes AT&T Internet Protect markedly different from other security
solutions is that it is a network-based security solution as opposed to a premise-
based solution (the approach of most security offerings.)  At its simplest,
Internet Protect patrols, farther, deeper and earlier in the cycle before activity
transforms into a problem.  Premises-based solutions start working once a cyber attack has already entered the corporations local area network.  AT&T’s Internet Protect is the premier network-based security solution because it leverages the unparalleled reach of AT&T’s global network.   AT&T has essentially moved security from the perimeter of corporate networks into the core of its IP Backbone. 

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. You may include links to product photos, service logos, etc. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

http://www.att.com/presskit/internetprotect/docs/attinternetprotect.pdf
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/110804att.html
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1699397,00.asp
http://www.att.com/news/2004/03/22-12972
http://www.att.com/news/2004/06/01-13096
http://www.att.com/news/2004/11/01-13302
http://www.att.com/ir/pdf/industry_031904.pdf

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that development this nominated product or service:

Hossein Eslambolchi is President of AT&T’s Global Networking Technology
Services, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Officer.  He is
responsible for the corporation’s strategic technology direction, network operations, research and development, information technology systems and processes, and advises the chairman and senior leaders on technology issues.  Hossein is a member of AT&T’s Executive Committee and oversees the formulation and implementation of a strategic vision to advance technology in conjunction with AT&T’s business
objectives.  With over 400 patents to his credit, he has been instrumental in the
transformation of AT&T from a consumer-oriented voice company to an enterprise-
focused IP networking company.