Comcast Business expanded availability of its SecurityEdge Preferred network-native cybersecurity platform that is targeted at small businesses, bolstering the telecommunication giant’s posture in the market.

The service is integrated into Comcast Business’ network, allowing small businesses to instantiate network security without deploying additional hardware, managing multiple vendors, or maintaining security tools. Deployment requires only that a customer has a Comcast Business internet router, with the service designed to protect against threats at the network edge.

SecurityEdge monitors traffic in real-time and is able to block malware, ransomware, phishing attempts, and botnets before they reach a connected device. It also uses AI-powered threat intelligence to identify and adapt to emerging attack patterns; filtering to block malicious IP addresses and restrict traffic from high-risk geographic regions; and application-level controls designed to prevent unauthorized software from accessing the network.

Management is provided from a live dashboard, which shows real-time visibility into activity and threats, and allows for customizable alerts.

Comcast Business, which launched a trial of the service late last year, noted that the platform last month was able to block threats targeting small businesses at an average rate of more than 230 per second.

"Security shouldn't require an IT department to work," Christian Nascimento, SVP of connectivity and digital customer solutions at Comcast Business, noted in a statement. "SecurityEdge Preferred is part of our broader commitment to simplifying how small businesses access and manage critical technology, bringing connectivity and cybersecurity together in an integrated experience they can depend on."

Pricing begins at $40 per month for current Comcast Business internet customers with speeds below 1 Gb/s, with customers on faster plans charged $60 per month. There is discount for customers that bundle services, and there are no per-seat licenses or annual subscription fees required.

Telecom security surge

The launch comes as the broader market has increased telecom network-focused cybersecurity efforts.

Nokia, or instance, recently launched its Deepfield Genome Shield, which is a security automation system designed to provide proactive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack protection for telecom providers, internet exchange points, and cloud builders. The platform addresses growing AI-driven threats by extending capabilities from Nokia's Deepfield Defender offering to provide network-wide automated enforcement.

As recently explored by SDxCentral, AI is being explored both by enterprises and cybersecurity attackers, with Nokia warning that state-sponsored threats are adopting AI in their arsenal, leading to a need for AI-driven response speeds in DDoS defense services. Nokia’s research also claimed only 7% of operators felt fully prepared for another attack on the scale of Salt Typhoon, which was dubbed the "worst telecom hack" in U.S. history.

Comcast also recently joined a handful of telecom operators in forming the Communications Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (C2 ISAC). Those other founding members include AT&T, Charter, Cox, Lumen Technologies, T-Mobile US, Verizon, and Zayo.

That group was formed last month with a claim that the U.S. telecommunications sector "recognizes the urgent need for robust, unified defenses in the face of persistent threats to networks and consumers," and that C2 ISAC was formed "because no single company has full visibility into every threat or can address every risk alone."

C2 ISAC's members will share resources, expertise, and real-time intelligence in collaboration with the National Coordinating Center for Communications (COMM-ISAC).