• Communication service providers (CSPs) surveyed reported between one and six security breaches of their networks over the last 12 months
• GlobalData surveyed 50 CSPs globally about their 5G security environment as well as partner and delivery preferences

Espoo, Finland – New research by Nokia and research analysts at GlobalData Plc warned on Tuesday that communication service providers (CSPs) around the world say they require stronger 5G network security capabilities as cyber breaches mount.

Analysts at GlobalData, commissioned by Nokia, found that 56% of CSPs said they need to substantially improve their cyber capabilities against telecom specific attacks, while 68% said they need to sharpen their defenses against ransomware threats.

Surveyed CSPs said they believe 5G Standalone (SA) deployments could increase security vulnerabilities, as they disaggregate and open their networks, and as industrial enterprises increasingly connect more of their mission critical assets to their networks.

About three quarters of the CSPs said their networks had experienced up to six security breaches in the past year, resulting in regulatory liability, fraud and monetary theft, and network services being knocked offline.

CSPs also said their security staff spent excess time on manual security tasks that should be automated and expressed little confidence in the software security tools they currently use; believing that the tools are fragmented and too slow to rapidly prevent and stop threats before they materialize.

Almost half of the CSPs surveyed said they are looking to enhance their security requirements by enlisting managed security services in order to take advantage of the expertise and resources that such services can provide.

An overview of the research can be found here.

Andy Hicks, Principal Analyst at GlobalData said: “Our survey shows that CSP security staff are doing as much as they can with the people and tools they have. But as CSP services multiply, vulnerabilities will also increase unless they can automate more of their security processes.“

Vishal Sahay, Head of Managed Security Services, Cloud and Cognitive Services at Nokia: “The substantial changes taking place in the 5G ecosystem are bringing both new dimensions to the telecom threat landscape and opportunities for malicious actors to take advantage of network security vulnerabilities. And the findings we’ve announced today reinforce the critical need for CSPs and enterprises to step up their cyber protection practices and to rethink the tools and processes they are using in order to transform and strengthen their security capabilities.”