Nokia offers security tools for operators and their customers

Nokia is releasing two security tools for mobile operators and their customers, claiming that as telecommunications networks become increasingly complicated and carry more data, the array of potential threats becomes greater.

Smart networks allow operators to understand more about their customers, deliver new services and help connect the Internet of Things (IoT).

But this means they carry greater amounts and more personal data, increasing their importance to customers and making them a tempting target for cyber criminals.

Nokia telco security

Nokia’s ‘Security Risk Index’ analyses a telco’s vulnerabilities across its mobile, IP and fixed networks and benchmarks them against their industry peers. It identifies potential gaps and offers suggestions.

The second part of the equation is ‘Managed Security Services’, which involves Nokia’s experts designing security infrastructure, information management and monitoring  systems so telcos are protected against known and unknown threats and meet regulatory requirements.

Both services are powered by Nokia’s NetGuard suite of tools.

“Operators must be prepared for a security breach,” said Friedrich Trawoeger, head of managed services at Nokia. “A dynamic, managed security proposition is needed to eliminate possible threats, so we are taking a comprehensive approach to security from assessing risks to managing and maintaining our customers' security infrastructure. This is the best approach to defend against attacks.”

And Nokia will let telcos white label both products so they can better serve their customers and generate more revenue.

“The resale white label model will allow our customers to monetize the security opportunity,” added Trawoeger.

Once the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer, Nokia has doubled down on network equipment since it sold its device business to Microsoft in 2013, acquiring Alcatal-Lucent in 2015.

Steve McCaskill is TechRadar Pro's resident mobile industry expert, covering all aspects of the UK and global news, from operators to service providers and everything in between. He is a former editor of Silicon UK and journalist with over a decade's experience in the technology industry, writing about technology, in particular, telecoms, mobile and sports tech, sports, video games and media.