Nokia steps up focus on security; to set up a dedicated unit

NEW DELHI: Beefing up its security efforts, Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia will launch a dedicated security unit that will act as its central office for security processes, partnerships and guide for developing product.

The new unit will help ensure that new products have security baked in, enhance the portfolio of security products and services, and develop business models around telecom security, Nokia said in a statement. To be set up on June 1, it will also expand Nokia's security partner ecosystem to create additional value for operators and make security a positive differentiator, the statement added.

The unit will bring together security experts and talent from across the company - customer operations, global services and technology and innovation teams - with the aim of tackling the full set of requirements for robust telco security, Nokia Executive Vice President (Mobile Broadband) Marc Rouanne said.

"We will continue to encourage industry dialogue and knowledge sharing in terms of security research to improve awareness of this crucially important area of telco business, including with open source software. This will become critically important as mobile broadband networks are starting to evolve towards the cloud," he added.

According to Nokia's 2014 Customer Acquisition and Retention Study Report, about 75 per cent of customers consider security to be the operator's responsibility.

It also said a significant portion of mobile subscribers are likely to switch operator in case of security issues, and they are willing to pay extra for reliable security protection.

Nokia had previously announced plans to launch a Mobile Broadband Security Center in Berlin for knowledge exchange with customers, business and research partners, and public authorities.