Cisco Enables a Secure Path to Network Transformation for Mobile Operators

For your customers, their connected device has become the center of their world. A typical day might go something like this. Wake up and ask a virtual assistant for the weather. Video chat with colleagues in preparation for a meeting. Incorporate high-speed video to create a winning sales presentation. Order and pickup dinner on the way home. End the day by downloading a new virtual reality game and playing remotely with a friend.

Mobile connectivity has become an integral part of people’s lives. For service providers this is great news…and this is only the beginning. Modern 5G networks will unlock new opportunities for you to enable compelling experiences with greater agility and lower cost.

At Mobile World Congress 2017, we will begin to see the vision of 5G unfold.

CEOs from some of the world’s leading operators will discuss the short- and long-term challenges and opportunities facing the mobile industry and share insights on how the operator community in particular can continue to play a central role in supporting global economic growth and social capital.

But the reality is that service providers taking advantage of these new opportunities are becoming increasingly susceptible to targeted cyber-attacks. Sophisticated and financially motivated hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in mobile devices, apps, and services, as well as risky user behavior, to launch new attacks. Until now, many service providers have lacked visibility across their network so they’re unable to identify and stop threats before they disrupt and negatively impact their networks and customers. As service providers transform their networks, security must be at the foundation – from the network to the cloud to the device.

Next-Generation Networks Under Attack

Advancements in the all-IP evolved packet core have left mobile networks, devices, and customers exposed to data breaches, internal attacks, DoS or DDoS, malware, and Botnet attacks. In the rush to deliver new services that incorporate small cells, VoLTE, and VoWiFi technologies, service providers must secure their network boundaries and critical “network edge” interfaces.

Unfortunately, traditional approaches to security are siloed and require service providers to deploy legacy point based security solutions from dozens of discrete vendors. Not only does this approach increase cost and complexity, but because these solutions can’t and don’t interoperate, it leads to gaps in threat defenses and security blind spots that hackers exploit. The industry average time between a compromise and the detection of a threat is between 100 to 200 days.

Securing 5G Network Transformation

Cisco Threat Centric security uses an innovative, architectural approach to allow service providers to protect themselves, protect their customers, and monetize new opportunities. This integrated, best-of-breed security solution works across the service provider’s environment to give unmatched visibility, more actionable insight through security analytics, and enforcement. Network and context information is automated through the use of shared telemetry and cloud-processing to lower the time to detect and respond in a way that others cannot match. With this unique approach, Cisco has successfully lowered the time to detection from the industry average of 100 to 200 days to as low as six hours.

With Cisco’s simple, open, and automated security architecture, mobile operators gain robust and effective security across the mobile packet core network. Our approach helps secure enterprise users, mobile subscriber data, and deliver new revenue-generating services. Cisco has the only threat-centric security solution on the market that provides comprehensive protection across the network, cloud, and device. With Cisco security as the foundation, you can transform your business with confidence, and deliver 5G networks that continue to transform your customers’ lives.

Visit the Cisco booth #3E30 in Hall 3 at Mobile World Congress to learn more about the key security announcements designed to accelerate secure network transformation for mobile operators.

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