NIX.CZ Association Launches New Project To Make Czech Internet Safer

[news release] ACTIVE 24, CESNET, CZ.NIC, Dial Telecom, Seznam.cz and Telefónica Czech Republic are the six companies that joined the new project called Secure VLAN. It is designed to help to cope with the DoS and DDoS attacks which are targeting the popular Internet services in the Czech Republic.

The Secure VLAN project has home to existence on the NIX.CZ platform as a reaction to massive DoS attacks of March 2013. By joining the project, these companies clearly indicate their intention to make Czech Internet safer for their customers. Currently, there are other companies preparing to join the project too.

“Naturally, for a significant number of companies connected to NIX.CZ it is their key Czech customers that matter the most. During attacks it becomes impossible for affected customers to connect to important Internet services. In an event of such an attack a company joined in the project has a possibility to maintain a connection through the Secure VLAN and provide access to services thanks to other companies joined in the Secure VLAN project and this is the basic idea of the project.” explains Martin Semrád, the director of the NIX.CZ Association.

A participation in the project is subject to a number of conditions set in the Terms which must be fulfilled by each company wishing to join the project. For example, the company must be connected to NIX.CZ for a certain time period prior to joining the project, it must be trustworthy and it has to actively participate at the Working groups.

“To become a member of the Secure VLAN  a company must have a first-rate level of technology. Potential participants must fulfil strict security conditions and they have to make adjustments of their networks, such as implement safety measures against IP spoofing, which is the most common method to hide the true origin of DoS attacks.” adds Adam Golecký, the technical director of the Czech peering node.

The Secure VLAN is governed by its members, who are fully independent from NIX.CZ and have a full autonomy in their decisions. The project started to emerge last year and the representatives of the NIX.CZ Association have been discussing it on a number of Working groups and meetings.

“I am firmly convinced that a membership in such a project will become vital for companies that provide connection for important services, these need to maintain an uninterrupted connection even in the most critical moments. For many this step will mean a financial investment which will however return in a bigger marketing potential due to the membership in such a project.” says Martin Semrád.