Maxine Holt - Senior Research Director Hollie Hennessy - Senior Analyst
As 5G develops, fueling global economic and social interaction, the cyberthreat landscape and security challenges grow with it. We expect a focus on network security, plus preemptive security measures for these evolving challenges, from both telecom operators and security vendors alike. But it is not just network security alone, businesses must also consider cybersecurity measures for endpoints, applications, and the web.
Omdia research on consumer attitudes to mobile security revealed that identity protection was the most important and in-demand feature. Consumers are quite rightly concerned about the theft of their digital identity. Security features are the second-most important, after battery life, when it comes to buying criteria for new phones. In addition, most users report purchasing third-party software for security, but would prefer to see their security issues addressed by the phone suppliers. These results all clearly demonstrate that consumers are highly aware of security issues.
Mobile security is about much more than just mobile devices. Businesses must be attentive to the range of threats that extend across devices, applications, the network, and the web when it comes to strengthening how a mobile workforce is secured. It is part of the organization’s cybersecurity strategy and the role of the chief information security officer, or CISO, is integral to this.
For example, the popularity of mobile applications means that important and potentially sensitive company and personal information needs to be secured beyond just the endpoint and into the cloud. In addition to security policies and considerations around devices, businesses need to consider the vulnerabilities associated with mobile apps, web apps, and browsing on mobile devices, as well as the networks that the mobile workforce relies on.
At the heart of any workplace mobility strategy is the business need to better secure, manage, and improve visibility into the vast array of different mobile devices, networks, and applications employees rely on. More advanced and proactive methods of mobile security are no longer “a nice to have” for businesses: they are a must-have. Expect vendors like Fortinet, Palo Alto, and others to tightly link the network and security at MWC—and rightly so.
We will likely see more from Fortinet when it comes to mobile security. Fortinet are developing their product portfolio for mobile, offering dedicated 4G/5G security solutions that build upon their flagship products, as well as a 5G-specific next generation firewall and recent partnerships with both TPG Telecom and Telefónica Tech.
Orange Group’s Cyberdefence is a great example of a telecommunications provider offering managed security services, combining security, network, and cloud expertise—and is what we can expect to see from others in the space. For the year ahead, expect a focus on securing digital transformation and operations tech (OT) security, especially in critical national infrastructure (CNI).
You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events:
RSA Conference (June 7–10, San Francisco, CA)
Infosecurity Europe (June 21–23, London)
Black Hat USA (August 6–11, Las Vegas, NV)
