5G NETWORK SECURITY
5G network security is an order of magnitude more complex than any previous mobile technologies. The attack surface is bigger and the attack tools are more widely available. Cybercriminals are aware and ready, are you?
Vulnerabilities in 5G
With the pace of 5G deployment accelerating across the globe, concerns are growing over the challenge of security. 5G is exponentially more complex than previous networks. Enhanced capabilities mean more individuals, businesses, and societies will come to rely on 5G as critical infrastructure. This means a broader attack surface for threat actors, and greater consequences resulting from security breaches. Despite the promise of security being designed in to 5G networks, reliance on legacy protocols will continue in 5G, bringing old vulnerabilities with it. Advanced threat actors will exploit those weaknesses to infiltrate “more secure” 5G networks.
Cyber Attacks on Mobile Networks
Threat actors, including nation-states and cybercriminals, will seek to weaponize 5G networks for a range of malicious purposes, including but not limited to influencing societies and political processes, theft, and fraud. Attackers will seek to exploit 5G vulnerabilities, as they have in previous networks, to conduct location tracking, data exfiltration, message interception and more. Not only do these attacks endanger mobile subscribers, they also have financial and reputational implications for operators.
Make sure threats don’t take you by surprise by understanding the threat landscape and staying up to date with new attacks and techniques. Using global threat insights and intelligence, operators can detect and block known attacks sources, as well as threats targeting their 5G network for the first time.
Monitor and respond to active threat actors targeting your 5G network quickly and effectively through enhanced visibility of your network, and address new threats as they emerge.
Covert attacks executed by sophisticated threat actors are hard to spot, but can have severe consequences. Expert threat analysis is required to detect subtle correlations between multi-network and multi-protocol attacks, to identify stealthier threats.
Enea’s industry leading researchers previously detected a security flaw in 5G network slicing, giving cybercriminals the opportunity to perform data extraction and other attacks. 5G networks need to be protected internally from rogue slices compromised by threat actors.
Amidst the numerous security events ocurring on mobile networks daily, mobile operators must be able to prioritize those with the highest threat level. This can be done through advanced AI, threat detection, and security expertise.
With the migration from 4G over to 5G Core Networks, more advanced attacks are anticipated due to a wider attack surface. Security specialists analyze threat data to predict multi-protocol attacks, so mobile networks can ensure the right defenses are in place in 5G.
“5G is driving the mobile industry into adopting the technology and techniques of the IT world to increase efficiency and improve functionality. However, while laudable, there needs to be a wider mindset change. When it comes to securing 5G, the telecoms industry needs to embrace a holistic and collaborative approach to secure networks across standards bodies, working groups, operators and vendors.”
-5G Security Research Team
Explore the ways Enea AdaptiveMobile’s Signaling Intelligence Layer can help defend your 5G network against signaling attacks.
Enea is trusted to deliver unparalleled mobile security services to some of the most secure mobile network operators, helping to solve complex mobile security problems for carriers globally.
