Interview: XDR software market insights with Nokia’s Samar Mittal

Samar Mittal, Head of Cloud and Network Services at Nokia MEA discusses their position in the XDR software market in an exclusive interview. Recognized for their AI-powered XDR Security suite, Nokia’s innovative approach enables effective threat detection and response. Mittal shares insights into their future plans, solidifying their position in network security.

TECHx: Congratulations on being ranked as a security leader in the fast-growing XDR software market by GigaOm! How does it feel to receive this recognition for the second year in a row?

Mittal: “It’s tremendously satisfying to see our unique position in the XDR market acknowledged. Our leap from the ‘Challenger’ to the ‘Leader’ category within a year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation. This really highlights how our security strategy is evolving quickly to solve our customers’ toughest challenges, all while safeguarding their critical infrastructure.”

The global Extended Detection Response (XDR) market size is growing fast and expected to register a revenue CAGR of 20%. The rising need for centralized and automated threat detection and response systems, increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyberattacks, and growing use of cloud-based solutions are key drivers of this growth. Nokia XDR Security is ideally positioned to identify, investigate, and address sophisticated threats in this context.

TECHx: Can you tell us more about Nokia’s XDR security software and how it stands out in the market?

Mittal: Nokia XDR Security is cutting-edge, AI-powered, cloud native suite that takes Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platforms to the next level. 

We emphasize use-case flexibility and seamless integration at the heart of our solution. The value-add that we provide for customers starts by ensuring native integration across their systems. Our holistic approach creates a unified management console for SecOps teams, giving them a consolidated view across the 5G network, including endpoints and cloud. 

Crucially, our platform empowers teams to effectively detect, investigate, and manage security incidents. It provides rapid response capabilities for immediate containment, remediation, and repair, ensuring operations remain uninterrupted and secure. 

TECHx: In what ways does Nokia’s XDR security software address the specific needs of the telco market?

Mittal: Nokia XDR Security safeguards network data and ensures business continuity for our telecom customers. Communication Service Providers can integrate their security tools with our XDR software, so they can broaden their services and customer base while maintaining network integrity. Nokia XDR Security also reduces the burden for many of our CSP customers by offering a comprehensive view of the threat landscape, making it easy for them to differentiate between false alarms and genuine threats and allowing them to concentrate on mitigating the most serious risks.

TECHx: As the industry evolves, how do you plan to further innovate and stay ahead in the XDR software market?

Mittal: Nokia remains at the forefront of telecom network security research, focusing on providing security operation teams with insightful, correlated data that’s packed with relevant context. Additionally, the evolving landscape of cybersecurity regulations within the telecom sector will have a significant influence on our future innovations.

TECHx: How do you see the XDR software market evolving in the coming years, and what opportunities do you see for Nokia in this space?
Mittal: The XDR market will continue to be fueled by the ongoing push for simplification and automation in daily operations. New AI language models will empower cybersecurity professionals to effectively combat the escalating wave of cyberattacks. We see an opportunity to further refine our AI-driven threat detection models, enabling CSPs to manage complex operations more easily.