NEC and Fortinet to safeguard the road to 5G network security

• NEC and Fortinet to build secure 5G networks for communication service providers
• The partnership will allow CSPs to protect themselves from threats by gaining comprehensive visibility into users, applications, and threats through a single pane of glass

The arrival of 5G heralds the start of a new era in network security. 5G networks will be a crucial infrastructure to enable digitization, automation, and connectivity to devices like machines, robotics, and transportation systems, etc. Therefore, there is a substantial value at risk, as well as a substantial difference in risk tolerance.

Despite the risk, governments in the APAC region are speeding up the implementation of 5G due to its capabilities. According to reports, there will be more than 400 million 5G connections by 2025, which is almost 14% of all mobile connections. In fact, the progress is more advanced in countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, where 5G is anticipated to make up 55% of connections by 2025.

The next revolution in network connectivity is being quickly adopted by countries in APAC, and network provider experts are aware of how crucial it is to secure it in order to protect users.

Therefore, a global agreement has been reached by Fortinet, a leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, and NEC Corporation, a pioneer in the convergence of IT and network technologies, to work together to develop secure 5G networks for communication service providers (CSPs).

Enhancing network security to meet customer’s demands

Together, Fortinet and NEC will deliver the carrier-grade, long-lasting networking needed for 5G through the provision of their comprehensive best-in-class security solutions, including FortiGate, the most widely used next-generation firewall and highest performing hyperscale firewall in the world.

Considering that 5G will significantly increase data traffic and introduce new network architectures like Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), it is crucial to protect against new risks without compromising the consumer experience. Due to the current state of the industry, CSPs must make comprehensive end-to-end security design and protection a top priority.

In the 5G era, Fortinet and NEC‘s partnership will allow CSPs to successfully protect themselves from known and unknown threats by gaining comprehensive visibility into users, applications, and threats through a single pane of glass. RAN, mobile roaming, Gi-LAN/N6, and Telco/Edge Cloud Security are just a few of the important use cases and services that the companies will focus on.

Fortinet’s high-performance security solutions with automation capabilities and AI-driven threat intelligence will offer reliable protection across all domains and levels of the intricate 5G networks used by CSPs. Utilizing its global reach across more than 150 countries, NEC, as the network integrator, will rely on Fortinet technologies to deliver customer-focused and carrier-grade services. Additionally, the business is able to provide CSPs with future-proofed solutions in a safe and secure manner thanks to its network experience accrued at NEC Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and NEC Open Networks, an industry-leading ecosystem made up of an end-to-end suite of open products and solutions.

The two companies will accelerate their partnership in the pursuit of secure 5G networks for CSPs globally.

According to John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet, the development and success of 5G relies on the capacity of service providers to provide cutting-edge enterprise-facing use cases while adhering to their security standards.

“We’re pleased to partner with NEC to deliver the required solutions and expertise to facilitate enterprises’ 5G adoption and CSPs’ success,” he added.

In order to enable NEC’s services to meet the customer’s urgent and varied needs for network security in the 5G era, Hideyuki Ogata, General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Department, NEC Corporation, said that the global partnership with Fortinet is a perfect fit for NEC Open Networks’ ecosystem.

Furthermore, he said “NEC CoEs already have rich experience in network security, including the recent success with Fortinet for CETIN and others. This partnership promises to further enrich our service portfolio facing customers as a global network integrator.”

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