Nokia Siemens: Security Management Challenges - Essay Example

Nokia Siemens: Security Management Challenges Nokia Siemens: Security Management Challenges Introduction Nokia Siemens is mobile telecommunication company. Nokia offers more than mobile phone services. It provides networking solutions to almost all business enterprises since it connects and facilitates communication between businesses in all places and at all times. Notably, the company offers high degree mobile phones with unique and exquisite functions and options. The company’s goal is patched on its website “Our goal is to be a good corporate citizen wherever we operate, as a responsible and contributing member of society. We take part in long-term projects aimed at helping young people create their own place in the world, for example, through our global youth programs” (Hampton, 2009). It is through its mission that if effectively fulfills its goals. Nokia’s mission states that, “By connecting people, we help fulfill a fundamental human need for social connections and contact. Nokia builds bridges between people – both when they are far apart and face-to-face –also bridge the gap between people and the information they need.” Moreover, the company plans in achieving its goal and attaining its mission through implementing its strategic plan that states that, “Expand mobile voice, drive consumer multimedia and bring extended mobility to enterprises” ( Hampton, 2009). Nokia has had an extensive success benefits that have made it have numerous advantages in the telecommunication market. Nokia also offers advance features and technological services to its customers. Nonetheless, like any other company, Nokia is facing numerous managerial challenges including Security architecture challenges that will form the main discussion in this essay (Steinbock, 2007). Executive summary Nokia is currently facing security challenges. The company’s leaders in the communications services had revealed the challenged providers. In managing the security challenges, the management must well analyze their responses on the same issue in regards to the effects of their actions on the company’s revenue and. Additionally, the management must be in a position of determining if the security actions to be taken are on the right side of the law; in relation to the security regulatory requirements. The security makes the direct contribution to the operation revenue growth by providing adequate security services or solutions and meeting the security network as per the customers’ expectations. In fact, security has become the market differentiator that might largely influence the subscribers choice or reduce their churn towards a product especially the mobile phones. The security of a product can as well play a vital role in the revenue protection. By understanding the products’ security related issues and the architectural challenges facing a company, managers can then base their decisions on the real information. Furthermore, the security leaders can then manage the balance betwixt the control, risk, and cost. However, the security managers usually face complex task of full compliance with requirements of the regulation as well ensuring that the company has remained within the law in its communication service provision.Recently, the increasing variety and numbers of regulatory requirements have increased the compliance cost. It is worth noting that the chief information officer is responsible for security issues within the company (Hampton, 2009). Security management challenges The security manager in the communication service providers faces numerous security management challenges in managing the security of the company. They always face new revenue streams, the changing market trends, increasing threats faced by the Company and its subscribers, and evolution in technology (Steinbock, 2007). The significant security management challenges faced by Nokia include compliance to the regulations, customer data protection, and managing security protection. Despite the fact that these challenged were identified before the current budget allocation, the company did not allocate sufficient fund for them (Hampton, 2009). The challenges due to compliance to the regulatory activities can be effective achieved by effective managing the company’s security (Steinbock, 2007). This can be done by developing a proper security strategy that must be based on the understanding of the business requirements as well as underlying risks that might emerge as the implementing such effective information security management system (ISMS) (Steinbock, 2010). The implementation of the ISMS based on the based on security standards such as the ISO 27000 series will enable the management to standardize the security controls. Such standardizations will as well form building block for compliance to regulation. However, management of security operation may be a complex task for the security managers of the communication service providers (CSP). It is a tradition that the enterprise IT systems and the core network infrastructure within the business are different entities and have different security requirements (Hampton, 2009). The difficulty in the network management is specifically due to the indistinctness of the open vulnerability or secure configuration information and telecoms vendor equipment within the enterprise security environment (Steinbock, 2010). Therefore, the Nokia Siemens Networks should approach its security operations in the CSPs that would enable it to provide numerous consultations, product solutions, consulting offering, and management security services. All these services will reduce complexity and vulnerability cost management, security events, system configuration, and compliance reporting. Protecting the customers’ data is another role that should be played effectively by the CSP security (Hampton, 2009). In fact, customers are increasingly becoming conversant of the risks associated their personal data being accessed by wrong people or the criminals and the inappropriate use of their data by the organization. The company’s CSP is in a proper position of protecting the customers’ data from both the risks. CSP can provide subscribers with security solutions that would protect their handset data and the network criminal activities. The use of the URL filtering technology may be incorporatedas a device for data management to secure the reputation of any organization their customers interact with. This solution will enable CSP to differentiate between its services and those of the competitors; thus, earning extra revenue (Steinbock, 2007). The CSP may as well adopt the use of security metrics in decision-making, though, the use of this technique has for years remained a controversial means of data security management. However, common set of security metrics that can track or quantify security control and issues do never exist. Nonetheless, the lack of a common ground on the applicability, collecting, and using security metrics should not bare CSPs from developing metrics solution as applying the appropriate tools and approach of this technique. Notably, Nokia company should collect security metrics and with the main of understanding the effective security control. The use of metrics data will as well help the management to make a decision on security matters. Through collecting and analyzing security data metrics, the CSPs managers will be in a position of removing uncertainty, fear, and doubt element when interacting with the executive management. In addition, using the metrics, security control will be based on facts rather than assumptions. Subsequently, the collected security metrics data can be used as a good indicator of performance of security and data control. The combination of consistent risk management approach and the use security metrics by the management will as well create a balance between security control and both the company and subscribers threats. References Hampton J. J. (2009). Fundamentals of enterprise risk management: how top companies assess risk, manage exposures, and seize opportunities. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Steinbock D. (2007). The Mobile Revolution: The Making of Mobile Services Worldwide. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Steinbock D. (2010). Winning Across Global Markets: How Nokia Creates Strategic Advantage in a Fast-Changing World. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Read More