Building and Securing Your Own Private 5G Network: Key Considerations

Beware the interactions, not the internal issues

The security risks associated with a private 5G network are often external rather than internal. While 5G itself is secure, vulnerabilities may arise where the network interfaces with other IT infrastructure. Weaknesses in the business network, for example, could potentially be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the 5G network.

Build it like your cloud – and keep it similarly secure

Even though 5G is considered a secure technology, it is still public-facing. Treat it as such and apply the same level of security measures. As 5G leverages virtualization and cloud technology, it inherits many of the challenges faced in IT and cloud environments. Monitoring 5G networks requires specialized capabilities that are different from those used for traditional IT and OT networks.

Threats will increase the more you use 5G

As the usage of 5G expands, so does the associated security risk. The complex implementation of 5G and the increased attack surface created by numerous devices and data pose security challenges that need to be addressed. It is essential to continuously monitor the private 5G network for unrecognized sources of incursions. Properly configuring the network and monitoring traffic entering and leaving the network can help mitigate the risks.

Source: 3 cybersecurity threats to consider when building a private 5G network