As mobile devices and applications continue to proliferate, there is little question that mobile network operators (MNOs) will have to make changes to the ways they secure their networks.

For instance, most mobile users download and utilize applications without ever considering the impact of such applications on the network. There are few -- if any -- mobile users that think about how it will affect their mobile provider if they download one more video, game or other app onto a smartphone or iPad. That type of behavior isn't surprising; it is the by-product of years of all-you-can-eat pricing packages proffered by mobile carriers for voice-only users.

Now that mobile networks are used for so much more than voice, MNOs are being forced to integrate mobile network security onto their platforms and truly examine every aspect of traffic to determine the best way to secure the network.

These findings and more are discussed in the latest Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider report, Influx of Devices Drives Need for Mobile Network Security. The report examines the mobile network security market today, as well as expected trends in the industry over the next 24 months. It provides analysis about the biggest threats to mobile networks over the next 24 months, as well as drivers in the mobile network security industry. It looks at factors MNOs should consider when deploying solutions and challenges the industry faces. It also includes a comparative analysis of products available in the market and examines the geographic landscape of the mobile network security market.

Operators are now considering products that increase the security of their networks and enable them to monitor what traffic is going through the network, who the active users are, and which device types are driving traffic. Many operators are looking at combinations of security offerings to gain intelligence about traffic, users and applications, so they can act on that intelligence and manage it by implementing combinations of products with security gateways.

Furthermore, the trend of integrating mobile network security will continue, especially as enterprise users increasingly turn to mobile devices. Business users demand security from their mobile devices, applications and network providers, and any failure at any point in that provisioning will not be tolerated. As such, the MNOs that want to set the bar in terms of service quality and customer service must make mobile network security a priority because the amount of traffic on the network is only going to increase.

— Denise Culver, Research Analyst, Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider

The report, Influx of Devices Drives Need for Mobile Network Security, is available as part of an annual single-user subscription (six issues) to Mobile Networks Insider, priced at $1,595. Individual reports are available for $900. To subscribe, please visit: www.heavyreading.com/mobile-networks.