Saudi Arabian telecommunications service provider Zain KSA and Stockholm-headquartered telecom network security specialist Enea have announced a collaboration to pilot mobile network signaling overlay technology, significantly extending signaling firewall capabilities. The signaling security overlay was conceived in Enea's technology research unit during 2023, with patents filed in December 2023.
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Enhancing Security with Signaling Overlay
Enea says its signaling overlay technology is a novel approach to enhancing mobile network security and efficiency. By employing transport layer-aware distributed ingestion across both virtual/cloud and traditional network infrastructures, signaling firewalls gain deeper insights into network events, ensuring protection against emerging threats.
Leveraging the adaptive signaling firewall's advanced techniques for detection and protocol correlation, the overlay technology enables mobile operators to safeguard their networks against sophisticated attacks, Enea noted.
Additionally, Enea said Zain KSA's network infrastructure provides an optimal environment for field validation of the concept. The signaling security overlay technology pilot project will be undertaken in Zain KSA's network in Saudi Arabia during 2024.
This pilot will reportedly accelerate the technology innovation and deployment of signaling security solutions for complex and more sophisticated network security attacks.
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First Pilot
"The emergence of cloud and virtualized infrastructures, along with the proliferation of private networks and APIs, has introduced new complexities and vulnerabilities in mobile networks, significantly increasing the risk of sophisticated cyberattacks," commented Anders Lidbeck, CEO of Enea. "This partnership builds on our long-standing relationship with Zain KSA and emphasizes our shared commitment to enhancing network security and embracing innovation."
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) which the companies claim world's first pilot was signed at Mobile World Congress Barcelona by Anders Lidbeck, CEO of Enea, and Abdulrahman Al Mufadda, COO of Zain KSA.
