One way or another, Palo Alto Networks is picking them off in the private 5G space. The US firm, one of the premier cybersecurity outfits, has tied up with London-headquartered system integrator NTT Data (stylised NTT DATA) on a managed security product for 5G networks in Industry 4.0. It has arrangements and integrations elsewhere variously with vendors Ataya, Celona, Druid Software, and Nokia, plus with NTT’s Industry 4.0 integrator rival Kyndryl.
The deal with NTT Data, in the works for 12 months already, extends to a formal managed cybersecurity service to improve visibility and automate responses to errors, vulnerabilities, threats, and attacks. NTT Data resells private 5G from Celona under its own brand (stylised NTT DATA Private 5G). It also works unofficially / strategically with Nokia in certain markets. A deal with Ericsson is on the cards. NTT Data called the offer a “new standard for private 5G security”.
Specifically, the joint offer “combines” NTT Data’s private 5G architecture with Palo Alto Networks’ Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) product. The latter lets enterprises apply a ‘zero-trust’ security “posture”, said a press note. It uses machine learning (ML) to permit “only relevant connections, applications, and protocols” on industrial 5G systems. NTT Data said the integrated network/security offer is “easy to set up and manage”, and slots into existing enterprise IT/OT environments.
It supports: “real-time visibility” to gain insights into encrypted data from connected devices, traffic patterns, and comms; device profiling with ML to identify and analyse IoT and OT devices based on behaviour and risk; zero-trust access controls so only authorised devices and apps connect; and “AI-driven” auto-detection of potential threats. It is all bundled as a managed service, delivered by NTT Data. The company quoted research from IDC that 70 percent of industrial organisations experienced a cyberattack on their OT environment in the last year.
Almost 25 percent of these saw operational shutdowns and disrupted business from them, it said. It provided a quote from Alejandro Cadenas, associate vice president at IDC, saying: “The rapid expansion of IoT and OT devices is further compounding these risks creating a growing attack surface. Yet, companies still see security as an add on when it needs to be built into the initial design of the network. This is where Private 5G with its inherent security features and advanced measures are making security an integral part of the network.”
Shahid Ahmed, group executive vice president of edge services at NTT Data, said: “NTT Data and Palo Alto Networks are creating a new standard for private 5G security and changing what’s possible for industrial connectivity. By combining Palo Alto Networks advanced cybersecurity capabilities with NTT Data Private 5G, we’re empowering enterprises to securely embrace the next wave of digital transformation and drive innovation with confidence.”
Anand Oswal, senior vice president and general manager of network security at Palo Alto Networks, said: “As enterprises embrace 5G to accelerate digital transformation, security must be the cornerstone of that evolution. Through our partnership with NTT Data, we are enabling enterprises to fast-track their digital transformation with confidence by securing their networks and protecting critical data.”
Earlier this week, NTT Data announced a multi-year deal to deploy and populate a private 5G network at a 40,000-square-metre manufacturing facility for Roularta Media Group (RMG), Belgium’s largest printing company. It has since confirmed the deployment uses Celona radio and core networking gear, and runs in the local 3.7 GHz n77 band, as supplied by the Belgian regulator to enterprises in the country on long-term rentals. NTT Data said in its announcement of the Palo Alto Networks deal: “RMG is intrigued with making its OT network more secure.
Luc Neysens, chief information officer at RMG, remarked: “We recently deployed NTT Data’s private 5G network to improve productivity across our facilities and unlock innovative use cases across our global printing operations. The implications of this network security enhancement will be a game changer for our business.”
