Nokia proposes Soar solution for telcos facing 5G cyber threats

With the new working models that 5G will present, new threats to the networks supporting business-critical functions are inevitable – and to head off such attacks, network tech firm Nokia has unveiled new end-to-end 5G network security.

Nokia believes the sheer number of cyber security alerts that current security teams receive on a daily basis – up to tens of thousands a day – can be overwhelming, and for that reason, a better way to automatically prioritise alerts is required to focus on the most threatening cases.

“5G supports a variety of use cases that promise new revenue models,” said Curtis Price, vice-president of Infrastructure Services of research firm IDC. “That calls for new, dynamic and flexible security architectures running on shared infrastructures.”

“Because 5G is about an entirely new type of network with many more potential entry points for cyber criminals, CSPs require a new approach that uses ... machine learning, analytics, threat intelligence and automation to constantly detect risks at scale and troubleshoot those risks rapidly,” said Mary O’Neill, Nokia vice-president of security products.

The NetGuard Adaptive Security Operations is designed to give communication service providers (CSPs) an automated system to meet the potentially vastly increased number of cyber security threats from 5G networks, which will support a greater number of access points and give more scope for launching attacks.

The machine learning, analytics and threat intelligence software-based solution is aimed at the growing security orchestration, automation and response (Soar) market. 

It is designed to help CSPs collect data from multiple sources and respond to security operations by integrating security solutions and automating business tasks while still allowing human intervention.

It’s attributed with being able to expand security teams’ real-time network visibility, as well as that of internet-connected devices and the telco cloud. The intended result is that users can identify and troubleshoot suspicious anomalies at scale, with what Nokia assures will be rapid, automated and predictive responses.

Another application identifies malicious attackers, including potential insider threats, by analysing user or machine behaviour and automatically indicating the level of the threat.