Estonian Cyber Range gets 5G standalone extension from Nokia

The Nokia DAC solution will not only enable the development of critical cybersecurity tools and capabilities but also support the real-time data needs for critical applications.

Nokia said on Wednesday Estonian company Thinnect OÜ has selected its private wireless Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) 5G standalone solution to enhance the Industry 4.0 capabilities of the Estonian Cyber Range.

The program is part of the cyber defence project initiated by the Estonian Ministry of Defence on threats related to emerging technologies. As a project partner, Thinnect will provide Nokia DAC 5G standalone network-as-a-service over five years along with Nokia Industrial user equipment.

The Nokia DAC solution will not only enable the development of critical cybersecurity tools and capabilities but also support the real-time data needs for critical applications.

"Using the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud we can create and manage a secure cellular network to support the new training facility. Adding a 5G component to the Cyber Range, the Estonian Ministry of Defence will be able to take advantage of the latest capabilities to be better prepared for cyber threats," said Jurgo Preden, CEO, Thinnect.

The Nokia DAC private wireless solution will allow Thinnect to implement a high-performance, end-to-end private wireless network using 5G to support ultra-low latency and real-time applications. The network will support both physical and virtual simulations of cyber-attacks and will be used to develop tools to protect critical infrastructure systems, the Finnish vendor said in a press release.

The critical infrastructure component for the Estonian Cyber Range will be operated by Foundation CR14 and delivered by Thinnect, University of Tartu, Cybexer Technologies, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence and Elisa Estonia.

Commenting on this development, Stephan Litjens, Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia Cloud and Networking Services, said, "Nokia is committed to using 4G and 5G private wireless technologies to support the development of secure critical infrastructure that will allow experts to establish security best practices and capabilities. We are pleased to leverage the Nokia DAC and Nokia Industrial user equipment for this important program in Estonia."