2 min Security

Trend Micro spins off subsidiary for private 5G security, CTOne

Trend Micro spins off subsidiary for private 5G security, CTOne

Trend Micro announced the formation of CTOne. The new subsidiary will focus on securing private 5G networks.

Trend Micro is one of the world’s largest security vendors. The organization develops various products, including extended detection and response (XDR), cloud security and application security.

Trend Micro has established several subsidiaries over the years. One example is Cysiv, a provider of security operations center (SoC) services. Cysiv started as an internal project and was acquired by Forescout in 2022.

The newest subsidiary is CTOne, a startup specializing in private 5G network security. Trend Micro wants to jump in on an emerging market.

CTOne

CTOne’s management, employees and intellectual property stem from Trend Micro. Jason Huang, former product manager at Trend Micro’s networking division, was appointed as CEO.

“5G network technology has enabled new capabilities and applications requiring new cybersecurity infrastructure”, Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen shared in a statement. “With over six years of dedicated research into network technology, we are confident that CTOne will safeguard organizations in all 5G network environments.”

Private 5G security

CTOne will target enterprises with private 5G networks. Private 5G networks are similar to the public 5G networks of large providers like Vodafone, Tele2 and KPN, but applications differ. Instead of millions of consumers, private 5G networks are intended for business locations such as offices and factories.

To give an example, private 5G allows an organization to provide high-speed connectivity to wireless sensors in factory halls. Other use cases include hospitals with large fleets of smart devices. Investing in a private 5G network can be more cost-effective than a public 5G network for organizations with multiple large business locations.

Private 5G solutions are already available, but at present, the technology is too expensive for most organisations. Analysts expect the prices of 5G network equipment to drop over time, which would result in market growth.

Like any major new technology, 5G brings security challenges. That’s what CTOne aims to address. “Safety today doesn’t guarantee safety tomorrow”, CEO Jason Huang said. “CTOne enables enterprises to secure private 5G networks against potential cyberattacks.”

The release dates of the first services were not disclosed.