Originally Published by RCR Wireless

Palo Alto Networks has said its 5G security software is now pre-integrated into the private 5G offerings from a number of core network and other service providers. The initial intake covers products from Ataya, Celona, Druid Software, NETSCOUT, NVIDIA, and NTT DATA. It is curious, perhaps, that Nokia is not on the list, having integrated Palo Alto Networks the other way onto its mission-critical industrial edge (MXIE) system, which it is selling with its private 5G installations.

The California cybersecurity company suggested its roster of partners will expand. Nevertheless, its initial integration work is a feather in the cap for private 5G network vendors Ataya, Celona, and Druid, in particular. Palo Alto Networks said the trio – along with the three others, separately offering network visibility, compute hardware, and system integration – have all been vetted in lab testing, and their radio security has passed muster for critical-grade enterprise 5G deployments.

A statement said: “The launch addresses the need and desire for validated 5G integrations and furthers [our] strategic vision of an integrated, ecosystem approach to safeguard 5G… Combining industry-leading security solutions with disruptive private 5G partner technologies and services enables customers to build security into their networks from the ground up, protecting the entire 5G infrastructure and mission-critical traffic it carries.”

A poll of c-suite execs by Palo Alto Networks around “almost 70 percent” consider 5G devices to be a growing threat vector in operational technology (OT), as found in most hard-nosed Industry 4.0 deployments. It said: “The massive amounts of data transmitted across 5G networks provide a target for threat actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities… There is urgency to better protect today’s more complex networks, cloud-native solutions, and distributed environments to facilitate growth.”

Anand Oswal, senior vice president and general manager at Palo Alto Networks, commented: “5G holds boundless potential to revolutionize our future. At the same time deploying these networks is complex and presents significant security risks. True digital transformation requires a robust cross-platform ecosystem where comprehensive solutions and innovative partner integrations ensure strong 5G security.”

It provided quotes from its partners, as follows. Ataya said: “We can address a broad spectrum of security concerns ranging from 5G network-specific scenarios to advanced threat detection scenarios, leveraging device intelligence to optimize ‘zero-trust’ postures.” 

Celona said: “As private 5G networks become imperative for mission-critical applications and sensitive data, they are prime targets for cyber attacks. [This] provides comprehensive visibility and secure access for enterprise devices over private 5G.”

Druid said: “Zero-trust security is key to securing private 5G traffic, but without visibility into all applications, services, subscribers, and devices, a zero-trust solution isn’t possible. [This] integration provides customers with elevated security posture, unparalleled visibility, policy enforcement, mobile user control, and threat detection for all IoT and user devices connecting to their cellular networks.”

NETSCOUT said: “Ensuring end-through-end service visibility is critical to assuring an exceptional customer experience and monetizing device and end-user behavior… [We provide] visibility-without-borders… through our integrations with Palo Alto Networks and look forward to extending them to include 5G.” 

NVIDIA said: “NVIDIA technologies accelerate Palo Alto P5G ecosystem solutions to help create a fast, secure and AI-ready private 5G infrastructure for modern enterprises.”

NTT said: “The computational demands of generative AI applications deployed at the edge have made private 5G networks more critical than ever… Organizations need complete, fully managed solutions as well as trusted advisors with the right capabilities to facilitate the deployment, management, and security of private 5G networks.”