- Charles Curtis, Vice President of the United States, 1929-1933

This month we look at confronting fraud and malice. However, as Curtis implies in the above quote, are they not essentially the same thing? One is more overt than the other, to be sure, but in the context of telecommunications, we're still talking about major security threats and potential lost revenue. When we talk about malice, we're referring to the direct attacks that network carriers, major enterprises, government agencies, and others experience at the hands of hackers and their programs, as well as other forms of malice and mischief that may cause problems for carriers and subscribers alike. Fraud, while certainly a form of malice on its own, deserves special recognition because it regularly threatens major network points from within as well as without.

In order to confront these threats and others, carriers must be especially vigilant, and embrace network security measures that will allow for visibility, proactivity, and other necessary elements for a secure network. We'll hear from Narus, Openet, Breach, and other leaders in the network security space as they discuss maintaining secure networks, lawful intercept, and other aspects of network security that keep the network, and in some cases the world beyond the network, much safer. 

It's not all security and lawful intercept this month. We also have a great piece on the state of CLECs, some highlights of the upcoming Management World in Nice, a word from TMForum President Keith Willetts, your latest OSS news, and more. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the issue, and encourage you, if you haven't already done so, to sign up for a free subscription to Pipeline so you can be kept up to date with all of the latest thought in the OSS space.