As we enter the era of intelligent connectivity, we are seeing ever more complex networks, both in the services they offer, in the use cases they will enable, and the range of technology used to build them. Not only will such networks be critical to economic and societal health they will also be attractive to attackers and it is important that the industry is motivated to identify and mitigate the threats.

The ‘threat surface’ is increasing and with the continued presence of 3G and 4G networks in the ecosystem, traditional threats and vulnerabilities will have to be continually mitigated and managed. Many threats are able to be anticipated and with good hygiene, continued action and vigilance, mitigated. New mitigation opportunities are arising through automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, however these must be married to good procedural practices and appropriately skilled security staff, coupled with good strategic risk management practices. Threats must be managed across people, process and technology and across the full lifecycle from definition through deployment, operation and ultimately decommissioning. The supply chain continues to be a critical consideration in the threat landscape.

This report gives insights into the threat landscape of the mobile telecommunications ecosystem, details key dimensions of consideration, and offers guidance to mitigate and tackle such threats.