Why Does 5G Security Need Intelligent Network Automation?

According to the GSM Association’s estimation, 5G could contribute around $2 trillion to the global economy over the coming 14 years. Anyhow, the impressive applications that cause customer loyalty and revenues to happen in the age of 5G, will differ from the ones we are aware of today. Autonomous vehicles, smart cities, logistics, and telehealth are among the markets that benefit from 5G. Every single one of those may also have considerable disruption and even death in the event of its security being weakened.

To support the new market opportunities, there is a need for operations to have fresh network management, cybersecurity, and automation approach. To tackle the concerns around 5G risks, end-to-end network automation will happen, whereas software-controlled procedures will become an important part of 5G’s infrastructure.

There should be extensive network automation to deliver on the possibilities of 5G. Manual processes cannot compete with autonomous cars when the traffic is at its heaviest. So, programmability will be the formula of the so-called ‘5G-age’. For your information, the word ‘programmability’ here refers to the capability of defining and controlling all network aspects in software. Anyhow, this programmability can have favourable and unfavourable consequences; it can allow hackers to wreak havoc from a distance.

A solid architecture to recognize threats as well as to design and use effective countermeasures against security risks is an important foundation in forming secure systems. That should be prioritized from day one instead of taking that into reconsideration. For that to happen effectively, a fresh ecosystem of researchers, operators, and researchers has to arise to push the cybersecurity plan for 5G technology.

That architecture has to provide operators with the flexibility of delivering the services that users require, while still giving malicious parties no opportunity of causing disruption. The APIs that allow programmability, coupled with ML (machine learning) and AI (artificial intelligence), can be the operator’s solution to cyberattacks.

Here is a list of the important 5G security architecture’s elements made for every operator.

Edge Security: An effective form of edge detection could aid in identifying and containing attacks fast, away from core networks that are sensitive. That way, edge computing could lessen the latency of attack detection by putting security monitoring (SM) functions near users, and making alternative data transference routes, rendering the process much more secure.

SDN (Software-Defined Networking) Controller Security: SDN can aid in mitigating security violations through intelligence collection with the use of northbound application programming interfaces to regulate southbound switches and routers.

Proactive-Type Security Analytics: The application of machine learning and artificial intelligence to existing traffic at every network point, can aid operators in identifying data traffic patterns. This is especially useful in identifying those cyber-attacks that are described with the phrase ‘zero-day’.

Container And Hypervisor Security: Virtual machines may face various attacks, which include resource starvation and data exfiltration attacks. Hypervisor hardening methods will aid in protecting against the misconfigurations and bugs that usually lead to vulnerabilities, as well.

Orchestration Security: Orchestratorsmanage the infrastructure and functions of the whole network. This means it aids in curbing cyber-attacks yet can cause system-wide disruption in the event it is compromised. Various processes and systems can ensure that the orchestrators have their integrity.

When 5G is anticipated to be one of today’s main technology disruptors, there is a high-stakes security situation. Businesses cannot think that this is doable without outside help. Instead of thinking thus, they should feel free to seek the assistance of researchers, technology vendors, or academic experts and operators to design the right cybersecurity architectures to keep these networks safe. In the event of the networks on which 5G technology will work and not becoming built in a secure way, malicious attackers would spoil 5G’s potential. Those are risks you cannot ignore.