By Majda Lahlou Kassi
As mobile networks in Africa continue to evolve, their reliability is crucial for maintaining economic competitiveness and national security. They enable secure communications, protect sensitive data and support the operation of critical industries. Governments and the private sector alike depend on these networks to ensure stability and resilience against disruptions. Securing mobile networks is a prerequisite to realize the full benefits digitalization offers societies.
Cybersecurity in mobile networks
Mobile networks are not just technological systems but critical infrastructure that connects billions of consumer devices, industries and essential services, such as energy grids, railways and public safety systems. The ability of mobile networks to support daily needs, power the digital economy, drive innovation and safeguard national interests underscores their importance. With this comes a rising need for security and trust.
Unlike a standard IT system, a telecom network can’t just be switched off during an attack to prevent access and allow the issue to be resolved. Maintaining reliable, available, ‘always-on’ connectivity is crucial. Vital sectors, from healthcare and utilities to transportation and defense, can also be affected. That’s why cybersecurity in this space goes well beyond a technical feature; it’s the backbone of trust in the technologies that shape our digital lives. Ensuring mobile networks remain uncompromised is a serious matter that requires dedicated collective efforts.
At Ericsson, we have been at the forefront of mobile infrastructure innovation in Africa across all generations, from 1G to 5G. We recognize that secure mobile networks are vital for advancing societal progress and fostering economic growth. Our approach focuses on proactively identifying vulnerabilities, implementing robust protections and continuously adapting to new and evolving threats. This ensures the infrastructures we create are resilient and trustworthy.
Our expertise allows us to embed cybersecurity into every layer of mobile networks, from hardware and software to intelligence-led threat monitoring. This way, we deliver solutions that not only protect against malicious attacks but also enhance operational stability.
Partnering with purpose
Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. We collaborate closely with network operators, industry partners, standardization organizations and government stakeholders to ensure mobile networks meet the highest security standards.
For us, cybersecurity goes beyond protecting infrastructure, it’s about fostering trust and accountability in the connected future. We champion practices to guide responsible technology deployment and governance, ensuring innovations benefit society while safeguarding the ecosystem.
Leveraging our long history of expertise in securing mobile networks worldwide, we have developed a holistic cybersecurity framework, called the Ericsson Trust Stack, that aims to protect deployed networks and their end users. The framework spans four key layers; standardization, the design and development process, deployment, including installation and configuration, and daily operations of the networks.
In line with that, Ericsson offers a comprehensive portfolio of software and services designed to help operators strengthen their cybersecurity posture across increasingly complex, cloud-native, and 5G-enabled networks. Its solutions combine automation, intelligence, and end-to-end visibility to protect critical telecom infrastructure from evolving threats. Key offerings include Ericsson Security Manager, which automates security orchestration, monitoring, and compliance across multi-vendor environments; Device Security Enabler, ensuring secure onboarding and authentication for network elements and IoT devices; and Signaling Security solutions, safeguarding interconnects and roaming interfaces from malicious intrusions. Complementing these, Ericsson Cybersecurity Consulting Services provide expert assessments, risk management, and governance support to align with regulatory standards. Together, these solutions enable operators to detect, prevent, and respond to threats more effectively, ensuring network resilience, trust, and continuity in the 5G era.
It’s necessary to address network security in and across all the layers’ distinct processes in a consistent manner. A fractional approach comes with the danger of moving risks between the layers, creating a false sense of security or greater unintended negative consequences in one or more layers while mitigating a risk in another layer.
The Ericsson Trust Stack has been recognized by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which recommends it to policy makers.
Together towards a secure digital future
This October ICT ecosystem stakeholders from across Africa will convene at the Mobile World Congress Kigali 2025 and network security remains at the forefront of discussions. The event reaffirms the need to work together if we want to succeed in addressing real-world needs, such as safeguarding sensitive data, enabling critical communications and developing a robust ICT infrastructure. This way, we can build the foundation for a safer, more connected world where trust drives transformation and innovation.
Majda Lahlou Kassi is the Head of Customer Unit West and Southern Africa at Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa.