In an exclusive interview with Abdallah Nassar, chief engineering and network officer, Orange Cameroon, he discussed Orange’s network security challenges, the company’s partnership with Nokia, the solutions Nokia provides and the value of the cooperation.
As a leading multinational telecom operator with major projects throughout the Middle East and Africa region, what are the main network security challenges you face?
As a leading multinational telecom operator, throughout the Middle East and Africa Region, we face huge network security challenges with the increase in sophistication of cyberattacks. Right now, cybercriminals are constantly developing more sophisticated ways to attack networks. And this makes it very difficult to stay at the head of the curve and be protected. Another challenge we can talk about is the growing complexity of the network. Telecom networks are very complex, with more devices and applications and more connectivity all around. This complexity makes it very difficult to secure networks. I can add two other majors: the lack of awareness and knowledge in terms of the latest cyberattack stories. This can lead to human errors, which are explored as well by attackers.
To address these challenges, we are investing in new technologies, training resources and employees, and developing a strong security policy. To rainfalls this war against cybersecurity, the operators need to work with stakeholders like governments and law firms.
At Orange Cameroon, we are thinking to improve our network’s security aspect through the implementation of a very strong security policy and procedure, including setting up the firewall, new protocols, and passwords. We are increasing education for our employees about cybersecurity risk and investing in new cybersecurity technologies with a number of protections and cyberattack forms. We are also trying to make secure the end-to-end traffic through the introduction of the IP security gateway.
From Orange's perspective, how do Nokia solutions leverage technologies and embrace market changes?
We are very committed to providing customers with the best possible mobile service exports and services. In order to do that, we constantly invest in new technologies and solutions. We have a long history of innovation with Nokia, and it’s very well known for its high-quality products and services. Orange Cameroon has been for many years a loyal customer of Nokia and has been very impressed by its commitment to innovative services. Nokia's solutions help Orange to leverage technology and embrace market changes. It allows Orange to offer its customers faster and more reliable broadband services. Nokia's security solutions, which are very recent, help as well for Orange to protect its network from cyberattacks. This solution includes cybersecurity gateways and inclusion detection systems inscription. Overall, Nokia solutions helped us leverage the technology and embrace changes; and they allowed us to offer the best possible protected mobile and broadband services.
What advantages do Nokia's practices and frameworks have in guaranteeing the security of 5G networks?
Nokia does have a lot of practices and frameworks that help guarantee security, especially for 5G networks. For this, we can mention building security for the network architect: Nokia 5G architecture is designed with safety in mind, and it is also providing security solutions for all network layers. This solution starts with the radio and ends up with the core system. By following the practice of Nokia, we can say that the company helped us ensure the data network and secure the expected 5G network.
How does Nokia help Orange business customers on their digital transformation journeys?
Thanks to the Nokia IP security gateway, which secured our traffic from the radio side to the core side, it protected the Orange network from cyberattack. Additionally, Nokia helps Orange business customers by providing them with a wide range of products and services to improve their operations, increase their agility, and reduce costs. The company works on solutions that improve mobile broadband solutions and services to support new applications, especially for SMEs and PMEs — not to mention, the consultancy services issued by Nokia. It helps customers and businesses develop and implement a digital transformation strategy. Thus, Nokia supports operators in staying ahead of the competition and succeeding in this digital era.
You’ve had a long, fruitful partnership with Nokia. How would you characterize the value this cooperation has brought, and how do you see it evolving in the future?
Our partnership was still very fruitful a long time ago. It brought benefits and significant value for both companies by evolving [into] the future. To summarize, I can shed light on the performance and reliability of the network. The technology provided by Nokia helped a lot in this way, which resulted in really better customer service and a more positive user experience. This partnership also allowed us to benefit from all of Nokia's latest technologies and innovations in access. On another level, while rapidly increasing and enhancing the network, we tackled the aspects of cost. Nokia helped us reduce technology costs through the efficiency of the network and the reduction of maintenance costs. I believe that the partnership between Nokia and Orange will continue to evolve into the future, with new technologies supporting our development for the benefit of our customers as well. In addition, I believe that the partnership between Nokia and Orange can also help address some of the challenges facing the telecommunications industry. These include the need to improve network security and meet the growing demand for mobile services and mobile data. In other words, working together can develop solutions to all challenges towards sharing the future of the telecommunications industry.
