YOU ARE AT:CarriersMWC 2013: AdaptiveMobile looks to protect network moves to all-IP LTE

MWC 2013: AdaptiveMobile looks to protect network moves to all-IP LTE

As carrier networking has evolved, operators have seen new security threats grow, such as via instant messaging.

“Spammers are sending to IM asking people to go a site, for example,” said Ciaran Bradley, VP of handset security at AdaptiveMobile. At this week’s Mobile World Congress event, the mobile security company issued a research report on cross-border threats.

With threats no longer confined to signalling attacks on their network or internal fraud, telecom operators are now facing sophisticated attacks with the rapid emergence of the “borderless network.” AdaptiveMobile noted that security threats are no longer limited by national boundaries or network bearers, as cyber criminals use social networks, instant messaging, over-the-top services and smartphone apps as integrated attack vectors into and across a modern telecom network.

In addition, the security company said the complexity of such attacks has the potential to explode as operators hasten to roll out rich communication services, and deliver faster, all-IP LTE networks in their attempt to respond to the risk of marginalization caused by OTT operators.

“The raise of treats was driven by the explosion of smartphone, the increase of smartphone penetration and the carriers’ competition is driving price of SMS down, so spammers can send thousands of short message costing little and they can get return of their money,” noted Bradley.

Bradley stated that carriers should increase the protection of their networks as they move to all-IP networks. “There are more threats now than before. Telecom operators should protect themselves from attacks and to stop threats. It represents big savings for customers,” he said.

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Roberta Prescott
Roberta Prescott
Editor, [email protected] Roberta Prescott is responsible for Latin America reporting news and analysis, interviewing key stakeholders. Roberta has worked as an IT and telecommunication journalist since March 2005, when she started as a reporter with InformationWeek Brasil magazine and its website IT Web. In July 2006, Prescott was promoted to be the editor-in-chief, and, beyond the magazine and website, was in charge for all ICT products, such as IT events and CIO awards. In mid-2010, she was promoted to the position of executive editor, with responsibility for all the editorial products and content of IT Mídia. Prescott has worked as a journalist since 1998 and has three journalism prizes. In 2009, she won, along with InformationWeek Brasil team, the press prize 11th Prêmio Imprensa Embratel. In 2008, she won the 7th Unisys Journalism Prize and in 2006 was the editor-in-chief when InformationWeek Brasil won the 20th media award Prêmio Veículos de Comunicação. She graduated in Journalism by the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas, has done specialization in journalism at the Universidad de Navarra (Spain, 2003) and Master in Journalism at IICS – Universidad de Navarra (Brazil, 2010) and MBA – Executive Education at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.