CenturyLink Steps Up Security With Rapid Threat Defense Offering For Enterprises, Partners

'With Rapid Threat Defense, we are providing our partners with threat detection and response capability at the network level and a service where customers can set policies based on their particular needs,' says CenturyLink Channel Chief Garrett Gee.

CenturyLink is prioritizing network-based security for enterprise customers and the channel partners supporting them.

CenturyLink Thursday introduced its threat detection and response capability, Rapid Threat Defense. The offering helps enterprises automate their responses to security events.

Rapid Threat Defense is available through the channel now.

[Related: CenturyLink Expands Channel Management Team With Solution Provider Superstars]

Security continues to be a critical area for partners as they help their customers manage an increasingly complicated threat landscape, Garrett Gee, senior vice president of indirect sales for CenturyLink, told CRN.

"With Rapid Threat Defense, we are providing our partners with threat detection and response capability at the network level and a service where customers can set policies based on their particular needs," Gee said. "This new offering aligns with our goal to make security as simple as possible for today’s digital businesses.”

Enterprises can set their own policies based on threat criteria they specify using Rapid Threat Defense to protect their network traffic. The network-based threat detection and response offering is powered by threat research developed by CenturyLink's research unit, Black Lotus Labs.

Rapid Threat Defense can also integrate with disparate security systems to further reduce complexity for end users and partners managing their customers' environments, the Monroe, La.-based service provider service provider said.

Rapid Threat Defense is now available through CenturyLink's Adaptive Threat Intelligence and Adaptive Network Security, its cloud-based firewall platform. The offering will be integrated with CenturyLink's Managed Premises Firewalls and Secure SD-WAN offerings later in 2020, CenturyLink said.

CenturyLink posted its fourth-quarter 2019 earnings last week in which it reported stable enterprise revenue year over year of $1.55 million. Jeff Storey, president and CEO of CenturyLink, said that the company is excited about the opportunities it sees for profitable revenue growth from markets like security.