5G Security Guidelines Unveiled by NCCoE in New Publications
The NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has launched a new white paper series titled "Applying 5G Cybersecurity and Privacy Capabilities." This series focuses on the challenges and solutions related to securing 5G networks, as the technology continues to evolve and play a significant role in human and machine communication.
The first technical paper in the series is titled "Protecting Subscriber Identifiers with Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI)." This white paper describes enabling SUCI protection, an optional capability new in 5G. SUCI provides important security and privacy protections for subscribers, and it is recommended that 5G network operators enable SUCI on their networks and subscriber SIMs.
Another white paper in the series, "Using Hardware-Based Security to Ensure 5G System Platform Integrity," was published by Intel. This paper focuses on the importance of hardware-based security in ensuring the integrity of 5G system platforms.
The NCCoE provides recommended practices and demonstrates their implementation in the NCCoE testbed using commercial-grade 5G equipment. The white papers are intended to provide practical guidance for organizations using and managing 5G-enabled technology, including technology, cybersecurity, and privacy program managers within commercial mobile network operators, potential private 5G network operators, and organizations using 5G-enabled technology.
The white papers aim to help these professionals identify, understand, assess, and mitigate risks associated with 5G networks. For instance, the recommended configuration for SUCI is to use a non-null encryption cipher scheme.
The NCCoE welcomes feedback and asks for comments about the two released white papers to be submitted by September 16, 2024. As the development, deployment, and usage of 5G technology continue to evolve, it is crucial that professionals in technology, cybersecurity, and privacy fields are tasked with safeguarding this technology.
5G provides increased bandwidth, capacity, and low latency, making it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications. With these new white papers, the NCCoE is helping to ensure that this technology is used securely and privately.
