The Planet announced it is part of the global Fingerprint Sharing Initiative – an alliance between Arbor Networks and some of the world’s most prominent telecommunications companies, ISPs, MSOs, Web hosting companies and network operators.

This first-of-its-kind initiative allows The Planet and other providers to share real-time cyber attack information globally, making it easier to stop attacks more quickly and closer to the source or point of entry and providing invaluable protection for The Planet’s customers.

With some estimating the repair costs and revenue loss attributed to Internet attacks will approach $18 billion in 2005, The Planet and other companies across the globe have searched for a more effective way to stop malicious attacks on their networks.

Through the addition of fingerprint sharing capabilities to its Peakflow SP, Arbor Networks helps providers protect networks from denial-of-service attacks, malicious hosts, worms, malware, spam, phishing and viruses.

Additionally, all attack profile information includes an encryption and authentication mechanism to ensure all shared information is both legitimate and protected.

According to Bradberry, the Fingerprint Sharing Initiative is unique. “In the past, sharing attack information has required email and phone calls, and was generally slow. The FSI is fast, efficient, and allows alliance members to securely exchange attack profiles to a wide audience that can use the information to make a difference.”