Securing Mobile Networks with Arbor Sightline Mobile

Mobile networks have become the dominant on-ramp for users accessing Internet services. Mobile consumer broadband traffic levels have escalated quickly in 5G, to levels previously associated with fixed line networks. Rapid growth in threat activity involving mobile connected endpoints has accompanied this rapid growth in mobile traffic.

Compared to a wireline service provider network, mobile network risk is amplified by the potential for attacks against critical service delivery components e.g., SGWs, UPFs, etc. And the added complexity of mobile networks has resulted in a much larger attack surface. Additionally, wireless networks also rely on finite bandwidth (radio spectrum) at the edge; wasting this expensive resource on superfluous, malicious traffic is not good for the provider bottom line.

Many Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have insufficient visibility into their mobile user
traffic to identify and manage these threats. The ability to correlate User Plane and Control Plane traffic is essential for an MNO to fully understand what is going on and mitigate any threat. A solution providing scalable threat detection and management inside the mobile network has become essential to defend the performance and availability of consumer services, minimize churn, and defend reputation. And as new mission- and safety-critical 5G services become a reality, maintaining business reputation will be key.