Session Border Controller: A Robust Network Security for Enterprises

Communication is essential for any business to boost client engagement and drive growth. With the growing reliance on VoIP and unified communications solutions, the possibilities for cyber threats such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and a strong demand for secure communication methods are where SBCs come into play.

What is an SBC?

A Session Border Controller (SBC) is a hardware device or software application deployed at the edges of a network to secure and regulate IP traffic flow within an enterprise network. Designed initially to secure VoIP communications, SBCs now regulate various types of real-time communications, including audio and video calls, instant messaging, and collaboration sessions.

Role of SBC for Enterprises

The role of SBC extends beyond security. SBC provides multiple tools and applications to enhance and improve scalability and productivity for your enterprise network. SBC has functions like Quality of Services (QoS), interoperability, and security. They also ensure traffic elimination, reducing bandwidth during data transmission.

Core Functions of SBC

SBC offers various functions to your enterprise, including ensuring security for your communication solution, enabling interoperability between public and private networks, and facilitating the delivery of quality services to your clients.

● Securing Communication Sessions - An SBC is essential for protecting your enterprise network from potential threats such as DOS or DDoS attacks, eavesdropping, caller ID spoofing, and unauthorized access to sensitive client or business data.

● Interoperability between networks - SBCs ensure smooth and zero-interference connectivity between two different or the same enterprise networks exchanging information data or calls.

● Quality of Service to Clients - SBC enables quality of service to your clients from your end, ensuring high-quality calls, zero jitter, and eliminating latency.

Features of SBC

Among SBC's many benefits, the principal one is Security. Let us briefly look at some of SBC's security features.

Threat Prevention

SBCs secure your communication network and ensure security by recognizing and preventing threat patterns.

● Protection against Denial of Service attacks - DoS and DDoS attacks are a kind of virtual traffic created by cyber hackers to hinder communication or data transmission between two networks.

● Encryption and Decryption of Communication Data - SBC ensures end-to-end encryption and decryption of data shared over the Internet, blocking access to unauthorized or unauthenticated credentials.

● Topology Hiding and Network Anonymization - SBC enables topology hiding and network anonymization, which masks a pseudo IP address and location as the original.

Access Control and Authentication

The SBC draws robust authentication measures to restrict unauthorized and unauthenticated access to sensitive data of your enterprise routing over the internet.

● Call Admission Control to Prevent Overload - SBC controls and regulates the call flow in a communication network and reduces the overload on the primary server by routing away unnecessary calls.

● Prevention of Fraud and Unauthorized Access - SBC helps prevent fraudulent calls. It also enables you to blacklist or whitelist certain numbers and prioritize incoming calls based on these lists.SBC prevents fraud calls, allows blacklisting/whitelisting, and prioritizes queue calls.

Network Address Translation (NAT) and Firewall Traversal

The Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal or Firewall Traversal is a firewall that protects private networks.

● Resolving NAT Issues for Seamless Communication - NAT translates the IP address in an internal network to a public network before packets are routed over the Internet.

● Enhancing Security through Firewall Integration - Firewall-integrated VoIP and UC communication enhances security and improves productivity for your enterprise network.

Future of SBCs in Enterprise Network

Thanks to technological advancements, organizing communication has become easy now, with the integration of AI and 5G. These additions in technology have advanced threat detection and problem-solving. The increasing role of 5G in VoIP and unified communication solutions expands capabilities to support broader UC solutions and enhance collaboration.

Conclusion

Session Border Controllers (SBCs) are critical for enterprises seeking to secure their VoIP and unified communication solutions. By providing robust encryption security measures and user authentication, SBCs protect enterprise-sensitive data from possible cyber threats. Beyond security, they enhance Quality of Service, seamless interoperability, and reliability for your enterprise network. SBCs play a significant role in safeguarding your network's integrity, ensuring reliable communication and enhancing scalability.