Cisco Helps Give Mobile Operators Greater Security
Cisco Helps Give
In an increasingly uncertain World
Cisco is aiming to help mobile operators secure their networks and protect their subscribers from an expanding array of network-borne threats.
Less than a decade ago, hazards including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, worm outbreaks and viruses, many of which are now mobile-specific, were not a concern for mobile operators. This was because their networks were isolated, connected only to tightly-controlled infrastructures such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Signaling System 7 (SS7) network that linked all operators so they could deliver a single product – mobile voice.
Since then, however, mobile networks have been undergoing a number of transformations. Traditional voice backbones based on Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) are being replaced with IP networks that are much faster and more flexible and efficient, allowing mobile operators to deliver not just voice, but literally hundreds of IP-based services to their subscribers.
PSTN and SS7 networks are no longer the only ways in and out of a mobile network. Direct connections to the Internet, roaming exchanges, corporate customers, information services and application providers have proliferated, making mobile networks some of the most accessible and interconnected in the world. And mobile devices, once limited to simple voice services, have evolved to an astonishing level of sophistication.
These transformations are just a few of the many that have occurred as mobile operators deploy third-generation networks. 3G networks and services enrich the lives of subscribers and deliver promising new markets, and revenue. However, they also expose both subscribers and operators to new risks. For example, the proliferating connections to the Internet, roaming exchanges that are critical for the delivery of rich new services also provide a vector over which malicious parties can hack into systems, launch DDoS attacks and propagate worms or viruses.
Increasingly powerful and sophisticated 3G mobile devices offer a unique concern for mobile operators, for they can serve not only as the target of many exploits, but also as a source. Many 3G devices are essentially small form-factor PCs and furthermore with the advent of 3G PC cards millions of laptop computers are now using 3G networks for wide-area broadband services.
Protecting 3G mobile devices from attack, and protecting mobile networks and subscribers from compromised or malicious devices, is a daunting task, especially given that mobile operators can no longer exert complete control over device capabilities or configuration. A further area of concern is the availability of peer-to-peer applications allowing 3G mobile devices to become a source for potentially huge volumes of data that can overwhelm limited network resources or negatively affect the experience of other revenue-generating subscribers.
Addressing these and other risks is critical if mobile operators are to minimize disruptions and meet subscriber expectations for service reliability, data security and privacy. The key to overcoming them, says Brian Daugherty, security business development manager within the service provider mobility team at Cisco, is to “Manage, monitor and mitigate.”
To help operators, Cisco offers a suite of no less than 13 security solutions that can be applied to mobile network infrastructures based on Global System for
Mobile operators can apply elements of this security suite to harden their IP infrastructure to help protect their borders, help ensure that subscribers are complying with established policies and help prevent worms and viruses from propagating over their networks or disrupting their critical servers and services.
