With the emergence of IP Networks as candidates for the transport of real-time multimedia services, new engineering into the IP protocol must be considered. These networks have never considered security problems into their architectural design. Furthermore, unlike telecommunication networks, they offer no built in distinction between signaling and user traffic. This simplistic design turns IP networks very vulnerable in nature, prone to various types of attacks and their signaling open to user manipulation and misuse.
The goal of this project is build a new IP architecture with mechanisms that protect the network from problems that rise at the user network interface. Hence making this UNI interface operate with a restricted scope in order to ensure that users do not make use of the IP interface to enquire about the functionality of the network elements or alter their characteristics. The set of network elements must be transparent to the network user. End users contract services and need not to control network operation.
Sealing the control channels from end user access permits when well configured, to limit these from being wrongly used in attempts to disturb network services. The use of control information must be put under rigorous control and secure access. It is not the intent to eliminate such signaling but to ensure that its use is established under well-defined rules and enforced restrictions.