
Finland-based Telecom Company, Nokia on Monday launched its Advanced Security Testing and Research (ASTaR) end-to-end 5G testing lab, focused solely on cyber security, in Dallas, Texas.
“ASTaR’s holistic approach to researching and testing secure solutions and potential network threat mitigations will go beyond looking at individual network elements and also focus on the larger context of network use and abuse scenarios,” Nokia said in a media release.
The company explained that in the 5G era, the nature and scale of information networks are evolving, as are the nature and scale of security threats.
As the central lab dedicated solely to security forensics and research, ASTaR will use and develop leading tools and techniques to assess the security resilience of 5G networks, as well as their associated software, hardware, and applications. ASTaR will then use these assessments to address emerging security threats, and lab researchers will engage with the cyber security community to identify emerging threat vectors and potential vulnerabilities, the telecom gear maker said.
“5G will enable countless new services for consumers, government, and businesses, and the industry must be hyper-vigilant in ensuring these 5G ecosystems are secure,” said Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer. “ASTaR lab will be an ideal testing ground to assess security in the larger context of network use and abuse scenarios.”
The lab is also expected to be the shared central cybersecurity knowledge hub for Nokia, its operator, enterprise, and government customers. Nokia said that the ASTaR lab will be staffed by U.S.-based specialists in cyber security. Additionally, ASTaR will also leverage the security research capabilities of Nokia Bell Labs.