Mobile security for 4 and 5G networks

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS has introduced Arbor® Sightline Mobile and MobileStream to answer mobile network operators’ (MNO) need for scalable, real-time visibility, detection, and mitigation of threats that can impact the performance and availability of 4G/5G mobile consumer services and network infrastructure. As the market leader in carrier-grade service assurance solutions, NETSCOUT continues to expand its Visibility Without Borders® platform by combining its best-of-breed mobile network telemetry capabilities with its market-leading DDoS protection technology to provide MNOs with a unique solution to identify and eliminate malicious traffic before it impacts subscribers and the network.

According to recent reports, global mobile data traffic** will increase four-fold between 2022 and 2028 to more than 325 exabytes per month, led by the growth in consumer IoT devices, mobile gaming, and the rollout of 5G. Unfortunately, mobile threat activity is expanding in tandem with this traffic growth. NETSCOUT’s DDoS Threat Intelligence Report*** identified a 79 percent increase in DDoS attacks targeting mobile subscribers from 2020 to 2022. And, with ever-growing numbers of vulnerable consumer devices connected to mobile networks, directly or via fixed wireless access (FWA), many of the same botnet-related problems plaguing wireline networks are now threatening mobile services.

“Mobile network operators are facing new security challenges as they expand their enterprise and consumer broadband offerings,” said Patrick Donegan, founder and principal analyst, HardenStance, Ltd. “NETSCOUT is combining its proven Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) deep packet inspection and Arbor Sightline threat detection technologies to provide mobile network operators scalable, cost-effective visibility into their customers’ mobile core traffic so they can identify and manage threats before they impact their services and reputation.”

The new Arbor Sightline Mobile provides MNOs with comprehensive visibility into their mobile traffic to detect and manage cyberthreats in a scalable way not previously available to quickly eliminate mobile subscriber and device disruptions. Arbor Sightline Mobile consumes user and control plane telemetry streamed from NETSCOUT’s MobileStream network monitoring instrumentation. MobileStream uses NETSCOUT’s patented ASI to extract meta-data from 4G/5G traffic as it traverses the mobile core – enabling user traffic visibility to be correlated with subscriber and device identities for real-time threat detection, attribution, reporting, and analytics at network scale.

“As consumer mobile traffic continues to grow, and consumers treat mobile and fixed connectivity interchangeably, it’s become essential for MNOs to manage performance and availability threats within their mobile networks just as they do in wireline,” stated Darren Anstee, chief technology officer for security at NETSCOUT. “Seeing what’s happening inside the mobile network enables detection and ultimately mitigation of inbound, outbound, and cross-bound threats, helping operators best protect their services and customers.”