Xtel Communications Case Study

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
Networks & Connectivity - Network Management & Analysis Software

Applicable Industries

Education
Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Cybersecurity

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Cybersecurity Services

The Challenge

Xtel Communications, a provider of fiber optic networking, Cloud and Voice services, was facing a significant challenge due to the lack of visibility into network traffic and the inability to provide protection against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. As bandwidth demands increased, DDoS attacks became more common, leading to service and performance issues. Xtel's legacy Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) were able to provide basic DDoS protection capabilities, but they were not sufficient to handle the increasing threats. Xtel needed a solution that could protect their own infrastructure and deliver a best-in-class solution for their customers as well.

About The Customer

Xtel Communications, Inc. is a company that has been providing fiber optic networking, Cloud and Voice services for fifteen years. They operate throughout the northeast United States, offering their services to businesses, schools, and governments. Xtel is committed to providing the highest level of service reliability, which is paramount for their high customer satisfaction and excellent quality of service. As part of their business continuity plan, Xtel decided to transition their infrastructure to the cloud. They assessed the potential complexities of an open hybrid infrastructure and were determined to find a security solution that offered both DDoS protection and visibility into current and future threats.

The Solution

Xtel found their solution in NETSCOUT® Arbor's Arbor Sightline and Arbor Threat Mitigation System. Arbor Sightline provides comprehensive network visibility and reporting capabilities, helping Xtel detect and understand availability threats, improve traffic engineering, peering relationships, and service performance. It also serves as a platform for managed DDoS protection services, which Xtel offers to its customers. Arbor Threat Mitigation System provides a full suite of countermeasures that surgically removes up to 400Gbps of DDoS attack traffic while enabling the flow of legitimate traffic, all without interrupting network services. It is proven effective for detecting and removing threats such as high-volume flood attacks, stealthy application-layer attacks, and attacks hidden in SSL packets.

Operational Impact

With Arbor Sightline and Threat Mitigation System in Xtel’s environment, the network operation center is able to respond to events in less time with greater precision.
Targeted attacks are effectively mitigated, relieving Xtel of expensive engineering resources and reducing time to mitigation.
For Xtel’s customers, this translates into the high-quality service experience they have come to expect.

Quantitative Benefit

Xtel now provides services to more than 500 school districts in the northeast United States.
Continued business growth since the deployment of Arbor Sightline and Threat Mitigation System.