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Numbers: Telcos Plan for Converged Voice/Data/Video Networks--But Not Security

November 27, 2007 — CSO —
A recent survey of global telecom carriers conducted by IBM found that 85 percent of carriers plan to roll out IP-based next-generation networks (NGNs) within the next five years. NGNs represent the convergence of voice, data and video onto one network. But according to the survey, the 2007 State of Security in Carrier Service Delivery, NGNs pose inherent security risks that carriers are not equipped to deal with. Only 46 percent of those surveyed said they have a strategy in place for addressing security risks posed by NGNs.

Because NGNs are based on IP, a highly exploited protocol, they will likely be prone to the same security issues affecting the Internet. Nearly 36 percent of those surveyed said that security issues are impeding their rollout of service bundles that include television, Internet and telephony. However, that number is down from 55 percent in 2006.

Other findings of the study include:

- 2.5 percent of respondents said IPTV rollouts are “very secure.”

- 92 percent said a hacker with “moderate” technical knowledge could compromise IPTV.

- Carriers consider mobile end-point compromise and core IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) compromise to be the greatest threats to NGNs.

Although security is an obstacle for carriers, it is also seen as an opportunity. According to the study, “as enterprises look to outsource more of their security functions, carriers view “in-the-cloud” security services to be a major opportunity for them.” More than 80 percent of respondents said that such services will be a major revenue generator within the next five years.

See CSO’s in-depth story “Pipe Cleaners” for more about how carriers such as AT&T are trying to make a profit by selling security services.

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