Nokia’s Multi-Layered IP Network Security Solution Defends Against Cyber Threats

CSP Networks Are Constant Targets For Cyber Attacks And Require Advanced Security Measures

With network technology evolving rapidly – and bad actors doing their best to keep up – the integrity of IP networks is constantly threatened. As cloud architectures, 5G, and Industry 4.0 reshape the digital landscape, IP networks’ vulnerability to sophisticated attacks escalates. 

For over a decade, the telecommunications industry has been a constant target for various threat actors, and their numbers have seen a significant rise since 2012. These threat actors employ diverse tactics and techniques – including phishing, social engineering, and exploiting vulnerabilities in both software and hardware – to infiltrate Communications Service Providers’ (CSPs) networks and extract sensitive information. 

By gaining unauthorized access to CSP networks, threat actors access and compromise critical data such as call records, subscriber information, and network configuration details. Their attacks are characterized by sophisticated malware and backdoors, which provide them with persistent access to target networks and allow them to operate covertly for extended periods, conducting their malicious activities undetected.

Additionally, the exponential increase of IoT and Industry 4.0 devices, coupled with the adoption of open network architectures by CSPs, has significantly expanded the attack surface of IP networks. The rapid acceleration of 5G and cloudification further amplifies the complexity and frequency of network-level threats. 

These attacks’ longevity and evolving nature highlights the need for continuous vigilance and advanced security measures within the telecom sector. As threat actors adapt their strategies, it becomes imperative for CSPs to enhance their cybersecurity protocols, deploy robust defenses, and stay ahead of the ever-changing threat landscape to safeguard sensitive data and ensure the integrity of their networks.

Nokia’s Multi-Layered Embedded Security Approach

To combat the ever-evolving threat landscape, Nokia pioneered a new security approach – a self-defending IP network infrastructure. This approach ensures fully featured and scalable protection for mission-critical IP networks. By embedding security into the DNA of the network infrastructure, Nokia demonstrates a commitment to delivering advanced and multi-layered safeguards, addressing the evolving challenges of the digital landscape with a focus on performance, functionality, and scalability.

 The key components of this protection include:

Quantum-Safe Network Encryption

CSPs can now harness the advanced capabilities of Nokia’s quantum-safe MACsec/ANYsec encryption, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of all data traversing their networks while fortifying defenses against current and future threats posed by quantum computers. Through seamless integration with the 1830 Security Management Server (SMS), CSPs gain centralized control over pre-shared encryption keys across Nokia’s expansive IP and optical network portfolios, along with the ability to leverage quantum-based keys through Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).

Tailored specifically for CSP networks, MACsec/ANYsec utilizes the power of FP5 silicon to extend the advantages of MACsec encryption—such as low latency and simplicity—to tunnels, flows, and slices engineered using MPLS, Segment Routing, and IP. By leveraging FP5, network encryption transcends its conventional role, becoming an inherent and universal network function.

Nokia’s implementation of MACsec/ANYsec empowers CSPs to transform IP services into secure IP services on demand. Unlike traditional approaches that view encryption as an expensive and complex capability requiring extensive planning, this solution allows Service Providers (SPs) to activate encryption dynamically, whenever and wherever needed. This native integration seamlessly adapts to various services and network transports, ensuring that the performance of other services running on the same chipset remains unaffected. The result is a flexible and responsive encryption framework that aligns with the on-demand nature of modern network requirements.

Automated Attack Identification and Mitigation

Traditional methods relying on manual solutions and forensic analysis often fail to respond quickly enough to prevent attacks from causing disruptions, and their accuracy may be compromised.

Nokia’s Deepfield Defender and the 7750 SR and 7950 XRS series routers enable automated attack identification and response. Through continuous monitoring and telemetry utilization from the network, security policies are dynamically tuned to address evolving threats. The automated workflows embedded in Deepfield Defender empower organizations to update tens of thousands of IP silicon filters in mere seconds, ensuring a swift and effective response to changing security conditions.

The system boasts high accuracy, employing high-scale and highly granular filters capable of inspecting IP headers or utilizing signature matching to identify and mitigate sophisticated attacks. Importantly, this is achieved without compromising the routers’ performance. Deepfield Defender goes beyond traditional approaches by incorporating multi-dimensional security analytics, providing unparalleled insights into various DDoS attacks. This rich information is complemented by Deepfield Secure Genome, offering distinctive visibility into internet traffic patterns, further minimizing the occurrence of false positives and negatives.

By choosing Nokia’s integrated solutions, organizations gain the ability to block attacks with exceptional precision before they can adversely impact service quality. The automated and sophisticated capabilities embedded in Nokia’s Deepfield Defender and router series exemplify a proactive approach to cybersecurity, ensuring a robust defense against evolving threats in real-time.

Protecting the Digital Frontier

The statistics provided earlier underscore the urgency of robust cybersecurity measures. The expansion of botnets, driven by IoT and cloud technologies, contributes significantly to DDoS attacks. Geopolitical conflicts increasingly weaponize larger and more powerful botnets, posing a considerable threat. In conclusion, Nokia’s multi-layered embedded security approach emerges as a robust solution to safeguard mission-critical IP networks. 

By addressing the evolving challenges posed by technological advancements and emerging threats, Nokia aims to provide CSPs and enterprises with the confidence and assurance that their networks remain resilient, secure, and performant in the face of growing cybersecurity challenges. The imperative for IP network security is clear, and Nokia’s proactive measures stand as a beacon in the quest for a digitally secure future.

About Infinity Technology Solutions

Infinity Technology Solutions specializes in broadband and critical communications infrastructure development. We help our channel partners create and deploy private wireless, microwave backhaul, IP/MPLS, and optical networking technologies.

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