Clavister, a provider in high-performance cybersecurity solutions, has launched the latest generation of Clavister NetShield Virtual, a virtualised solution for securing 5G networks. With data rates of over 600 Gbps on a single Intel Xeon-based server, Clavister says it sets a new high-water mark for 5G Security capacity.
The demand for more applications and services and the adoption of 5G means more virtualisation and containerisation of the network as many of the 5G standards call for these technologies. Simultaneously with the proliferation of virtualisation has come steadily increasing traffic levels. According to telecommunications research firm TeleGeography, peak internet traffic worldwide increased about 30% per year from 2016 to 2020; in 2020, as much of the world was under lockdown, the demand shot up 47%.
Moreover, cloud storage and the related uploading and downloading as well as online video gaming and video streaming require significant and increasing bandwidth. As of 2019, cloud providers Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft consumed 64% of the global bandwidth capacity. As the volume of data flowing through networks increases, so do security risks. More data means more camouflage for malware. As the volume of data rises, mobile operators find it increasingly difficult to analyse traffic as it enters and exits the network.
Cybersecurity solutions that can keep up with this increased data consumption is a key concern for mobile operators. The security mechanisms deployed need to effectively prevent unauthorised intrusion, repel denial of service (DoS) attacks and prevent attackers from injecting malware into the mobile network. All this across multiple interfaces and in a vastly distributed infrastructure, and without disrupting the service. In this environment, the ability to more securely deploy and manage solution elements in a cost-effective way is paramount.
Service providers can address this dilemma with a Services-Based Firewall (SBFW). A SBFW is designed for virtualised environments and enables rapid scalability, high data throughput, and easy management. It can also bring functionality such as application management and load balancing.
Clavister NetShield Virtual is a Services-Based Firewall which enables a high rate of packet forwarding while keeping data more secure. It runs on Intel Xeon Scalable processor and Intel Atom processor-based systems. And as packet inspection demand grows, Clavister NetShield Virtual scales to match.
It’s manageable with a single tool, capable of managing tens of thousands of instances. Clavister NetShield Virtual operates using either VMware vSphere or KVM hypervisors. The software can run on a minimum of two CPU cores with only 2 GB of RAM in its most basic configuration, which makes it one of the least resource-demanding 5G security products. For larger applications, NetShield Virtual can fully utilise modern multi-core CPUs.
Clavister NetShield Virtual is said to be proven in commercial deployments with several tier-1 5G and 4G operators in live operation under massive load, deployed both as virtual and bare metal. The solution is available through telecom system integrators, including Nokia under the brand Nokia NetGuard Firewall.
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