Securing a global village and its resources: Baseline security for interconnected Signaling System #7 telecommunications networks

The authors describes recent experience in countering the growing problem of network integrity security threats. He outlines the need for a security baseline standard for all SS7 (Signaling System #7) networked service providers. In describing the evolving intrusion threats to the global public network, he defines and comments on the seriousness of the problem. The important concept emphasized is that all service providers on the SS7 network may be placed at risk by the absence of effective security mechanisms in any one service provider's SS7 domain. The focus of the present work is to help define a baseline standard of due care on security applicable to any interconnectd SS7 service provider's or customer network to create a global industry equivalent to national and international trusted computer security evaluation criteria.<>