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.

Read the full press release here.

Nokia