Cloud computing customers now have access to new 24/7/365 managed security services as a result of Host.net's partnership with network security provider StillSecure.

With StillSecure's (News - Alert) ProtectPoint managed security service as a virtual appliance, Host.net now has the ability to provide this constant security monitoring and management of the virtual infrastructure, immediate response to security threats and compliance reporting for enterprises using cloud computing services for line-of-business applications and complex hosting.

"Host.net (News - Alert) is one step ahead of most data centers because they truly understand the importance of embedding security within the virtual environment," said Steve Harris, vice president of managed services at StillSecure, in a statement. "Host.net customers save time and money by leveraging the pre-built, pre-configured and ready-to-run VMware version of our ProtectPoint managed security services."

Virtual services provided by the company include firewall, VPN, intrusion detection/prevention (IDS/IPS), vulnerability scanning, Web security and e-mail security. These services can be purchased from Host.net on a subscription basis either as a standalone solution or service bundle.

Users can configure services for monitoring both gateway and internal connections to provide comprehensive protection against internal and external threats. All security services are backed by a 24/7/365 SAS (News - Alert)-70 Type II audited Security Operations Center (SOC) that is staffed by certified security analysts.

"We had the rare opportunity to team with StillSecure during the strategy and design phase of their new platform. The result is a product that protects the customer's mission with CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability)," said Roger Barranco, Host.net's chief technology officer and vice president of operations.

With virtual-based security services, customers can enjoy the same vigilant protection, monitoring and management as the hardware appliance-based service with the added benefits of standard high-availability redundancy, near-immediate failover and the ability to rapidly upgrade and add system resources when more horsepower is demanded from the firewall.

"Host.net uniquely interweaves security throughout the platform rather than simply layering security on top of their infrastructure as other providers do. It's a critical addition to our service portfolio that will help keep our clients' virtual infrastructure safe from both inside and outside attacks," added Barranco.

This partnership with StillSecure extends Host.net's competitive advantage in the cloud computing space. The company designed its platform to focus on performance, high availability and data protection. Host.net leverages its capabilities to ensure the integrity and availability of their clients' data.

In other Host.net news, the company announced plans to support an Enterprise Cloud Computing event through the South Florida Technology Alliance. The gathering covered all aspects of virtual data centers - including virtual servers, storage, backup and disaster recovery - and their ability to help organizations reduce IT spending, strengthen data protection, and facilitate regulatory compliance.

Last year, Host.net announced that its colocation centers were accredited with the revised SAS 70 Type II and the PCI (News - Alert) DSS Requirement 9. Both these certifications are from prestigious national independent audit firms and assert that the company adheres to strict operational and security guidelines with respect to infrastructure.