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Airtel uses Nokia security product

Case study: 
NetGuard Identity Access Manager to address security threats 

girl using mobile phone

5G demands strong cybersecurity

The telecommunications network has no borders as it connects the world. And the demand for cybersecurity risk management in the 5G era is growing. Oftentimes, not by choice – as network security regulations become more stringent. No one wants to see their organization in the headlines if a data breach occurs as that can lead to severe financial and reputational damage. Not to mention the impact it may have on customers.

“Airtel is a customer-centric organization and, in its endeavor to establish itself as a leader in network security area and protect subscriber data privacy, we are taking all the right steps to ensure that the best tools and processes are put in place to have secured access and data protection at all levels. All of which wouldn't be possible to do without our partners at Nokia.”
Ajay Jain
Ajay Jain
Head of Digitisation Networks, Airtel

The challenge

Cyber threats, meet 5G security

It’s no secret that the security landscape has changed drastically and has become more complex with the deployment of 5G. While the openness of 5G can allow the creation of new services and offerings, network security should not be overlooked. Telecommunication companies manage an abundance of sensitive end-user subscriber data. And if an operator’s service is compromised, malicious actors will not only gain access to the network but to the infrastructure of their customers data as well.

That alone is why it’s incredibly important to have good security practices in place to prevent attacks and breaches of such sensitive data and to fight against the malicious intent of hackers. One way to achieve this is by making security awareness and prevention part of our daily culture. 

The solution

Ensuring asset confidentiality

At Airtel, the security of information assets is of paramount importance and the confidentiality and integrity of those assets need to be maintained at all times. Airtel wanted to protect these assets from all kinds of threats, both internal and external – deliberate or accidental. Additionally, they need to ensure that all legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations are met. As part of business operations, Airtel follows stringent guidelines and directives as laid down by Airtel’s universal access service security guidelines. 

NetGuard Identity Access Manager

To ensure they are following the stringent security guidelines, Airtel has deployed a centralized privilege access management system from Nokia, NetGuard Identity Access Manager, to address new and emerging threats. 

This solution has become the centerpiece of Airtel’s telco network security and they have fully exploited the multi-vendor and multi-domain capability of NIAM and it’s operationalized to manage access to all critical telco network applications to improve their operational efficiency.

The benefits

Transforming security operations

What started as a limited set of access requirements, has grown into a system which is a centerpiece for accessing all network loads across every line of business. The deployment scale is big, and covers all WASP nodes, NLD (National Long Distance) ILD (International Long Distance) and fixed cloud as well. Airtel is evolving NIAM usage from NOC (Network Operations Center) to their newly built SOC (Security Operation Center). This SOC is implementing security orchestrations analytics and response (using Nokia’s SOAR solution), which is pre-integrated with NetGuard NIAM, and is helping them transform their security operations to the next level.

Related solutions

Product

NetGuard Cybersecurity Dome

5G cybersecurity orchestration and incident response software suite to detect, analyze, and mitigate telco security risks faster.

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