New challenges for the protection of critical network components in future IP infrastructures

In parallel to the establishment of IP-based communication networks as a crucial infrastructure for our society, the threats against this infrastructure and the end systems connected to it have evolved at the same pace as well - both with respect to their quantity and their technical and organisational sophistication. With the trend towards "Next Generation Networks'' and "Triple Play'' and the migration of additional basic services associated with it, the improvement of security architectures and protective mechanisms becomes increasingly important. In this contribution we will, therefore, first outline and discuss the current threats for IP-networks before introducing a novel approach for the protection of critical infrastructure components.