Enterprise Mobility
Article | June 15, 2023
Before the COVID-19 crisis, the biggest news in tech was the ongoing -- and controversial -- rollout of the 5G network. First, there was the ban on Chinese companies, prohibiting them from being involved with 5G infrastructure in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Then articles started pointing out that the threat profile for 5G was an order of magnitude higher than that of existing telecom protocols. The coronavirus outbreak, though, has forced some analysts to reassess the value of 5G. While security concerns remain, the network has been invaluable in the fight against the pandemic.
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Wireless, 5G
Article | May 18, 2023
5G small cells form the backbone of the modern wireless networks. Learn more about this technology is revolutionizing 5G deployment and enabling various use cases across industries in this article.
Contents
1 Introduction to 5G Small Cells for Modern Businesses
2 5G Small Cells: Overview
2.1 Characteristics of 5G Small Cells
2.2 How Small Cells Fit into 5G Architecture
3 Benefits of 5G Small Cells for Businesses
3.1 Improved Coverage and Capacity
3.2 Enhanced Network Performance
3.3 Lower Latency
3.4 Cost-effectiveness
4 Use Cases for 5G Small Cells
4.1 Urban Areas
4.2 Rural Areas
4.3 Indoor Environments
5 Conclusion
1 Introduction to 5G Small Cells for Modern Businesses
Small cells are low-power radio access nodes that operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands and are typically deployed in areas with high demand for wireless connectivity. They are a vital component of the 5G wireless network architecture and are designed to complement traditional cell towers, providing improved coverage, network capacity, and faster data speeds. Small cells come in several types, including femtocells, picocells, and microcells, and can be deployed according to the use case.
2 5G Small Cells: Overview
2.1 Characteristics of 5G Small Cells
5G small cells are characterized by small form factors and are designed to be compact and discreet for deployment in various settings, such as urban areas, rural areas, indoor environments, and public spaces. In addition, they consume less power than traditional cell towers, making them more energy-efficient. They also operate on high-frequency bands, which enables them to provide faster data speeds and lower latency than traditional cell towers, which makes small cells essential for 5G.
The 5G small cell architecture can be deployed in dense networks, providing better coverage and capacity in areas where traditional cell towers may not be able to reach. Also, a 5G small cell antenna can be configured to provide seamless handoffs between cells, ensuring users have a consistent and uninterrupted wireless experience. These characteristics make them ideal for specific 5G use cases, which will be explored further in the article.
2.2 How Small Cells Fit into 5G Architecture
Small cells and 5G evolution are closely linked, and this technology is an ideal solution for future wireless networks. They offer greater capacity, coverage, and flexibility than traditional cell towers, allowing them to meet the demands of an increasingly connected world.
By operating on high-frequency bands and being deployed in dense networks, small cells in 5G can provide faster data speeds, lower latency, and better coverage than previous generations of wireless networks. Additionally, their small form factor and flexible deployment options allow for use cases like private 5G networks that revolutionize industries.
3 Benefits of 5G Small Cells for Businesses
5G networks will support a massive increase in connected devices, including smartphones, IoT sensors, and other devices. Small cells are critical for achieving the full potential of 5G networks and the exciting new applications and services they will enable.
3.1 Improved Coverage and Capacity
5G small cells offer improved coverage over traditional cell towers in certain situations, particularly in urban areas. Buildings and other obstacles interfere with wireless signals, so the connection quality decreases in areas with such infrastructure. By deploying small cells closer to users, the network can provide better coverage and capacity in these areas.
Small cells can also be deployed indoors, providing better coverage and capacity in buildings and other enclosed spaces. This is important due to poor wireless range, signal interference from walls, and other obstacles. By deploying small cells indoors, the network can provide better coverage and capacity in these areas, improving the overall wireless experience for users.
3.2 Enhanced Network Performance
The deployment of small cells enables network densification, which allows several devices to connect to the network simultaneously. This can help reduce network congestion and improve overall network performance, particularly in urban areas. They can also be configured to provide seamless handoffs between cells, ensuring that users have a consistent and uninterrupted wireless experience. This is important because users often move between different areas with different coverage levels and capacities, providing a streamlined experience.
3.3 Lower Latency
Small cells are designed to operate on high-frequency bands, which enables them to provide faster data speeds and lower latency than prior generations of wireless networks. This is especially important for applications that require real-time communication, such as virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, and remote surgery. By providing faster data speeds and lower latency, small cells can help enhance these applications' performance, providing a better overall user experience.
3.4 Cost-effectiveness
Small cells offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional cell towers, particularly in urban areas with high land and real estate costs. By mounting 5G small cell antennas on existing infrastructure, such as lampposts and buildings, deployment costs can be lowered. Additionally, small cells can be deployed in a modular fashion, allowing for targeted and cost-effective expansion based on the required coverage and capacity. This approach avoids large-scale and expensive deployments of new infrastructure. Moreover, small cells can be powered by low-cost, low-power sources like solar panels or batteries, reducing ongoing operational costs. Furthermore, small cells consume less power than traditional cell towers, resulting in lower energy costs.
4 Use Cases for 5G Small Cells
4.1 Urban Areas
As discussed previously, small cell radio antennas in 5G can improve networks in dense urban environments, alleviating network congestion and improving data speeds. In addition, by deploying small cells in areas with high user demand, network operators can provide targeted coverage and capacity improvements to specific areas, ensuring that users have fast and reliable connectivity.
4.2 Rural Areas
Small cells can be used to extend coverage to underserved or unserved areas by traditional cell towers. They can fill in coverage gaps, providing reliable connectivity to users in rural areas that may not have access to high-quality wireless services. This will enable use cases such as remote workforces in rural areas, smart agriculture, and distance education and training.
4.3 Indoor Environments
Traditional cell towers may not be able to provide reliable connectivity indoors due to physical barriers such as thick walls and ceilings. Small cells can provide targeted coverage and capacity to specific areas, such as conference rooms or shopping malls, where users require high-quality wireless connectivity. In addition to improving range, small cells can help alleviate network congestion and improve data speeds in high-traffic indoor environments.
5 Final Thoughts
Small cells are a crucial element in developing and implementing 5G technology. By leveraging a small form factor and high-frequency band usage, small cells facilitate the deployment of 5G networks in a more cost-effective and targeted manner than traditional cell towers. They support a wide range of use cases by providing reliable and high-quality wireless connectivity to a growing number of devices. They will continue to be a critical technology for businesses and organizations seeking to leverage the benefits of 5G technology.
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Network Management, Network Security
Article | July 17, 2023
Although the cause is as yet unknown, this breach is likely to have the same culprit as most large scale data breaches that have occurred in recent memory, through a simple misconfiguration of a server or shared repository. As the sheer size, scale, and footprint of global technology vendors like Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and so on continues to grow, so too does the opportunity for simple errors to make their way into some infrastructure configurations that can then be exploited.
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Network Security
Article | October 26, 2021
Cybercrimes have increasingly become a matter of concern for companies worldwide. Over the past few years, the rise of big-ticket ransomware attacks and exposure of perilous software supply chain infections has awakened organizations to various digital dangers.
So, the big question is, how to combat the security threats that are on meteoric growth?
The best solution is to adopt a security vulnerability assessment.
What is Security Vulnerability Assessment?
A vulnerability assessment involves a systematic review of security hazards, which helps identify IT infrastructure’s weaknesses, risks, and vulnerabilities.
When it comes to mitigating vulnerabilities and resolving issues, the collective imperative is to analyze the problem areas before getting them fixed.
A security assessment is critically important to combat the complexities and with an effective vulnerability assessment program, organizations use the tools required to comprehend the probable security weaknesses and enable the protection of systems and data from intruders and unauthorized breaches.
For most organizations, ensuring the safety of devices, networks, applications, and digital assets are part of a broader vulnerability management strategy. It includes an extensive assessment, in-depth processes, and mitigation methods to explore the entire threat spectrum.
Typically, it is conducted regularly. Vulnerability assessment offers a firm assurance in the security of data, especially when some alterations have been implemented or a new service has been added, or, for that matter, and installation of new equipment has taken place.
Each assessment provides a perspective about the risk in its periphery and suggests solutions to control the risk factors and the evolving threats.
Why Security Vulnerability Assessment Is Necessary?
The perpetual threat of cybercrime has necessitated the demand for vulnerability assessments significantly. They make organizations realize their security defects and contribute towards mitigating them.
Hackers are forever ready to make phishing attacks. As per reports, hackers are at work every 39 seconds. Thus, it is extremely important to be vigilant or complacent to activate hackers’ and cybercriminals’ machinations. Over the period, cybercrimes are fluctuating and thus need ongoing attention.
The ideal solution is to undertake consistent vulnerability assessments to safeguard confidential data, systems, and networks. Furthermore, it helps organizations understand the risk and enables smart decision-making.
To ensure security, companies ought to conduct both external and internal scans of their networks.
According to Gartner (paywall), “Large organizations with thousands of employees, tens of thousands of servers and many operating systems receive hundreds of requests per year to patch thousands of vulnerabilities that cannot be remediated in less than 15 days.”
One of the best reasons security vulnerability assessments are important is because it confirms an enterprise’s management processes and whether it has covered every critical patch through outlined existing remediation.
Why Do Companies Need Vulnerability Assessment?
A vulnerability assessment provides companies insightful details on all types of security discrepancies in their environment.
It paves ways to evaluate the risks associated with the flaws.
This helps organizations have a better knowledge of their security scare, overall weaknesses, and assets.
Moreover, the first thing that strikes us on hearing about a cyber-attack is the security of data. With the right and adequate implementation of security assessments, the safety and security of important data could be easily protected. A security assessment would be helpful to reduce irrelevant expenses and make space and increase the IT budget to invest in other key aspects.
Undoubtedly, data breach causes substantial loss to an organization, which leads to legal hassles and financial hazards. In fact, most of the time companies fail to recover the loss.
Thus, it doesn’t harm to place solid policies and methods to strengthen the entire security position of the organization and this can only be possible with a strategic security vulnerability assessment.
In a nutshell, this would keep the companies aware and, in all likelihood, keep the cyber-criminals at bay.
A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
To cite an example, let’s take how Zensar conducted a three-pronged vulnerability assessment with port scan and penetration scanning. It determined the security of its offerings to meet customer requests for Brainshark, a leading provider of on-demand presentation solutions, helping customers deliver business interaction across 600+ ranking companies in the market.
While Brainshark knew their systems were secure and could also establish it through their documentation, they still undertook a third-party security vulnerability assessment.
Zensar’s vulnerability assessment procedures were based on the industry’s best practices that included tests for SQL injection, cookie manipulation, access control weakness, session state, and cross-site scripting.
The focus of the test was to identify the host and application security concerns. Upon completing the tests and assessments, Brainshark expressed satisfaction and was confident enough in their ability and solution. They knew their security posture was highly protected and secure.
Types of Vulnerability Assessments:
Vulnerability assessments unearth a variety of system and network vulnerabilities. This indicates the reliability of the assessment process, which is implemented with different tools, scanners, and methods that helps discover the vulnerabilities, risks, and threats.
Network-based assessment scanning: It is used to determine the presumptive network security attacks. This kind of scanning can also detect the vulnerable systems on wired as well as wireless networks.
Host-based scans: It is easy to locate the vulnerabilities in servers or other network hosts with host-based scanning. This type of scanning provides visibility into the configuration settings and legacy systems.
Database scans: Database scans ascertain the weak points in a database to preclude malefic attacks.
Application Scans: It examines websites to identify and recognize software vulnerabilities and inaccurate configurations in network or web applications.
Summing Up
Organizations need to be watchful every minute and ensure the security posture is rigorous, which is only possible with security vulnerability assessments. Based on this criterion, understanding company risks gets simplified in turn preventing intrusions and threats.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What Are the Advantages of Security Vulnerability Assessment?
There are several advantages attached to security vulnerability assessments. To put it precisely, it can help identify the vulnerabilities before cybercriminals do and determine the level of risk.
Undoubtedly, opting for vulnerability assessment would save a lot of time and money and mitigate the risk and prevent the irrelevant expenditure that follows after the cyber-attacks.
What Are the Disadvantages of Security Vulnerability Assessment?
While vulnerability assessments are highly advisable, it has its share of drawbacks which cannot be ignored. One of the primary limitations of vulnerability assessment is that it does not hint at every vulnerability that exists. Moreover, it sometimes signals false positives too.
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