Nokia Launches Cybersecurity-Focused Testing Lab in the US

Nokia announced the launch of its Advanced Security Testing and Research (ASTaR) lab, located in Dallas, Texas. It is the first end-to-end 5G testing lab in the US focused solely on cybersecurity.

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. As the central lab dedicated solely to security forensics and research, ASTaR will use and develop 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 cybersecurity community to identify emerging threat vectors and potential vulnerabilities.

“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. To demonstrate our leadership and commitment to security, Nokia will be the first to inaugurate a lab in the U.S. with the singular mission of identifying and preventing cybersecurity attacks. ASTaR lab will be an ideal testing ground to assess security in the larger context of network use and abuse scenarios,“ said Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia.

The lab will serve as a central repository for cybersecurity knowledge that will be shared across Nokia and with its operator, enterprise, and government customers. In addition, Nokia will partner with customers to consider attack scenarios against networks and observe how security measures will fare against real security incursions. ASTaR lab will be staffed by U.S.-based specialists. In addition, ASTaR will leverage the security research capabilities of Nokia Bell Labs. Dallas office also features the Executive Experience Center, Energy Innovation Center, O-RAN Collaboration and Testing Center, Cloud Collaboration Hub, and Services Lab, making it a convenient destination for customers seeking a broad view of Nokia’s entire portfolio and capabilities.