In addition, Pilot offers extranets and VPNs that include encryption, authentication, access control, virus scanning and Web filtering. Pilot's services target a range of secure applications. The company offers a road warrior service for remote access, a corporate partner privacy service for electronic business interactions, and hosting and commerce services. CPN extends these security services, which had previously applied only to Internet links, to traditional frame relay networks. For example, Pilot's services can be used to provide a secure connection directly to a business partner's wide-area services provider.
Pilot then builds security technologies into the extended network.
Pilot's CPN security services focus on the network. So instead of there being a clear demarcation point where traffic behind the firewall is considered trusted and the traffic in front is not, an IT manager can be assured that the traffic is secured from origin to destination. This is in contrast to traditional security approaches that have required the IT manager to install, maintain and frequently upgrade firewalls, intrusion detection systems and virus scanning software within each site in their corporations. The idea seems to play well with IT managers. He said he would rather outsource the responsibility of regular security upgrades to a provider.