Telecoms watchdog Oftel this week set out the measures that
telecoms operators should have in place to deal with any incident
that may jeopardise the security of their networks. The draft
guidelines set out that operators should have, for example,
appropriate fire warning systems and power back-up systems in place
in their exchanges.
David Edmonds, Director General of Telecommunications, said:
"All public telecoms operators have a
licence obligation to ensure that the security and integrity of
their network is maintained at all times. For the first time Oftel
has set out guidelines on the measures we expect operators to have
in place to meet this obligation.
"Oftel expects operators to ensure they are
prepared for an event such as a fire or power cut so that services
to consumers can continue uninterrupted and any disruption is
minimal. Operators and Oftel already work closely together to
maintain network security and integrity to a high level. Recent
global events have shown that there is a wider overall risk and
everyone in the telecoms industry accepts that security is
vital.”
