#Cybersecurity #GSMA #Mobile Operators

GSMA Report Highlights Increasing Costs Due to Cybersecurity Regulation

The GSMA has recently published a significant report titled The Impact of Cybersecurity Regulation on Mobile Operators, detailing the financial and operational burdens faced by mobile service providers in relation to fragmented cybersecurity regulations. Mobile operators currently allocate between $15 to $19 billion annually towards core cybersecurity activities. This expenditure is projected to escalate to between $40 to $42 billion by the year 2030. Despite these substantial investments, challenges posed by poorly aligned, overly prescriptive regulations are hindering effective risk mitigation and imposing unnecessary costs.

The State of Cybersecurity in the Mobile Industry

Michaela Angonius, the GSMA’s Head of Policy and Regulation, emphasized the critical role of mobile networks in supporting digital economies. She noted, “Mobile networks carry the world's digital heartbeat. As cyber threats escalate, operators are investing heavily to keep societies safe – but regulation must help, not hinder, those efforts.” The current regulatory landscape often directs resources away from actual security enhancements, forcing operators to expend energy on compliance instead.

A Global Perspective on Regulatory Challenges

Developed in collaboration with Frontier Economics, the report offers a global analysis, incorporating insights from interviews with operators across various regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. A primary conclusion reveals that the evolving nature of cyber threats increases complexity and costs for mobile operators worldwide. Therefore, it becomes imperative for governments to engage collaboratively, seeking to alleviate the cost pressures faced by operators operating in multiple markets.

The study highlights several alarming issues related to policy misalignment:
1. Fragmented Regulations: Mobilize operators are compelled to navigate overlapping and sometimes contradictory requirements imposed by multiple regulatory bodies.
2. Reporting Burdens: Operators face a barrage of reporting obligations, where the same incidents must often be reported several times in different formats.
3. Prescriptive Regulations: Rules focused on