Network X 2026: The Biggest Barriers to Selling Security Aren't Technical

Network X 2026 brought together communication service providers (CSPs) and technology leaders for three days in Vienna to explore how AI is shaping the future of consumer protection and connectivity.

For F‑Secure, the event was an opportunity to connect with industry peers and hear firsthand about the challenges network operators face in selling security. Across our conversations, one message stood out: CSPs recognize the potential of security to generate revenue and build customer trust, but turning that potential into commercial success requires more than a strong product.

The pressure to find growth beyond connectivity

Network operators are under increasing commercial pressure. For the CSPs we spoke to at Network X, churn, shrinking capital expenditure budgets, and pressure on margins were recurring concerns, particularly as revenues decline and network costs continue to rise.

Security offers operators an opportunity to generate new revenue beyond connectivity. This was something CSPs acknowledged at Network X, alongside the potential to strengthen customer relationships and improve retention. Consumer expectations also support this opportunity, with 80% saying they expect their CSP to keep them safe from scams and cyber crime (F‑Secure Global Consumer Market Survey 2026, n = 10,000).

Yet recognizing the opportunity and knowing how to capitalize on it are different things. Many operators lack the confidence and know-how to diversify into security. That uncertainty extends internally, where stakeholders must justify investment without knowing whether it will deliver the expected returns.

What operators are looking for is more than a security product. They need a partner that understands their challenges and supports them every step of the way. For F‑Secure, signing the contract is just the beginning; we work alongside our partners to develop the right proposition, bring it to market, and drive customer adoption.

What operators told us about selling security

At our executive roundtable in Vienna, we brought together 15 representatives from CSPs and the wider industry to discuss the challenges of selling security. What stood out was that nobody identified technology as a primary barrier.

Instead, the discussion centered on commercial challenges. How do operators successfully market a security product when their core expertise lies in connectivity? How do they build consumer trust in a space they don't feel they own? And how do they secure internal support before bringing a proposition to market?

That last challenge is particularly important. As one representative put it: "Before we sell externally, we have to convince our own organization." For many participants, the question wasn't whether security was needed, but how to make it simple to launch and easy to sell.

Strong consumer demand doesn't guarantee adoption

The gap between consumer demand and actual adoption was a recurring theme during the 'Value-Added Services: Beyond the Connectivity Commodity' panel, featuring representatives from Vodafone, Sky Italia, AppLogic Networks, and F‑Secure.

Despite strong consumer interest in security, getting customers to activate and use these services remains a challenge. Sky Italia, for example, offers security at no additional cost, yet fewer than one in four customers activate it, and fewer than 0.5% enable parental controls. Vodafone also highlighted the difference between what consumers say they're willing to pay for security and what they choose when offered the service.

The discussion reinforced that offering protection isn't enough; operators need to make security easy to activate and help customers understand the value they're receiving. F-Secure's Director of Product Management, Tuomas Pippola, emphasized the importance of simple propositions built around customer needs rather than technical features. He also highlighted the value of communicating tangible protection outcomes, such as the number of scams stopped, rather than relying on generic newsletters, to support customer engagement and upselling.

Data and AI can also help operators improve engagement. F‑Secure Horizon, for example, uses AI to analyze customer segments and campaign performance, recommending actions that help operators make more informed marketing decisions.

Expanding consumer protection through partnership

Another highlight around Network X was the announcement of a new partnership between F‑Secure and CUJO AI, bringing together complementary security capabilities to help the world's largest CSPs deliver more comprehensive consumer protection.

The collaboration combines F-Secure's endpoint, identity, privacy, and scam protection capabilities with CUJO AI's home network security and device intelligence to create a more seamless security experience that protects consumers at home and on the go.

For large CSPs, the opportunity goes beyond combining technologies. The joint offering is designed to encourage greater adoption of endpoint protection, support more relevant customer engagement, and create opportunities to upsell security across devices. As consumers move between networks and connected devices, this approach could help CSPs deliver more consistent protection while unlocking new avenues for growth.

Looking ahead: turning opportunity into growth

Our discussions with operators at Network X showed that turning security into a sustainable growth opportunity takes more than the right technology.

CSPs need security propositions that meet customer needs, a clear strategy for bringing them to market, and ways to demonstrate their value over time, both internally and externally. Just as importantly, they need a partner who understands their commercial challenges and is invested in their success.

As we look ahead, we'll continue working closely with our partners to turn the insights from Network X into practical action, helping them build and market security offerings that customers value and that deliver sustainable business growth.