Kit vendor Ericsson is working with Concordia University, University of Manitoba and the University of Waterloo in Canada to build ‘cyber resilient and secure’ 5G networks using automation and AI.
It’s the product of a successful application to Canada’s Cyber Security Innovation Network program that has pledged to provide up to $80 million in funding to support cybersecurity initiatives across the country.
The intention is to drum up some automation and AI solutions that can detect, protect and prevent attacks on 5G and future 6G networks, and develop new means to detect zero-day attacks
The project will also explore how AI-based solutions can better predict upcoming attacks and detect ongoing attacks, and apply ‘5G orchestration capabilities’ to test and deploy new defence mechanisms at run time.
“Canada is a leader in cyber security and similarly, our researchers and experts at Ericsson have long been studying how to best innovate and secure telecommunications networks,” said Jeanette Irekvist, President, Ericsson Canada. “It’s our hope that this partnership with Concordia University, the University of Manitoba and the University of Waterloo will help support the field and the adoption of made-in-Canada solutions. As we celebrate 70 years in Canada, it’s partnerships like this that continue to drive our success here.”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, added: “In an increasingly digital world, trust is key to Canadians achieving their full innovative and economic potential. With this investment, the Cyber Security Innovation Network is strengthening our cybersecurity ecosystem by fostering partnerships to bridge sectors. The National Cybersecurity Consortium, Ericsson and university partners are showcasing how collaboration between the private sector and academia will ensure the innovations of today can thrive in the economy of tomorrow.”
The project will serve as a springboard into ongoing research of 6G networks, claims Ericsson.
The release asserts that the adoption of new ‘business contexts and use cases’ at scale will place unprecedented new demands on networks, which will create complex security and privacy requirements, and foster a growth in ‘potentially unsecure’ devices.
In a similar vein, BT recently warned that the volume of cyberthreats in the UK is ‘rising at an alarming rate’, as businesses are pelted with 530 cyberattacks every second.
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