Authentication mechanisms in 5G and Wi-Fi 6

KESEROVIĆ, DŽANA (author), Kos, Andrej (mentor)

The advanced capabilities of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 introduce additional security requirements and challenges. This thesis presents a comparison between 5G and Wi-Fi 6 from the authentication aspect and it also gives some use case examples. The thesis starts with a review of the technologies that are utilized by 5G, its architecture, and authentication mechanisms. It also gives a brief description of potential attacks and threats. In addition to primary authentication, 5G introduces some new concepts such as slice authentication and authentication and key management for applications. Wi-Fi 6, on the other hand, implements a new security protocol known as WPA3 that takes advantage of the dragonfly handshake to correct some of the security issues found in the WPA2 and the four-way handshake. A consumer needs to know which technology would be the most suitable and whether it offers enough security.

• Language: English
• Keywords: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, security, authentication, threats, use cases
• Work type: Bachelor thesis/paper
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Year: 2022
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-139682
• COBISS.SI-ID: 120509443
• Publication date in RUL: 06.09.2022

KESEROVIĆ, DŽANA, 2022, Authentication mechanisms in 5G and Wi-Fi 6 [online]. Bachelor’s thesis. [Accessed 29 March 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=139682

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Avtentikacijski mehanizmi v 5G in Wi-Fi 6

Abstract

Napredne zmogljivosti 5G in Wi-Fi 6 uvajajo dodatne varnostne zahteve in izzive. Diplomsko delo predstavlja primerjavo med 5G in Wi-Fi 6 z vidika avtentikacije, podprto pa je tudi s primeri uporabe. Diplomsko delo vsebuje pregled tehnologij, arhitekture in mehanizmov avtentikacije v 5G. Podaja tudi kratek opis možnih napadov in groženj. Poleg primarne avtentikacije 5G uvaja nove koncepte, kot sta avtentikacija rezin ter avtentikacija in upravljanje ključev za aplikacije. Wi-Fi 6 po drugi strani uvaja nov varnostni protokol, znan kot WPA3, ki izkorišča dragonfly rokovanje, da odpravi varnostne težave, ki jih najdemo v WPA2 in štirismernem rokovanju. Za uporabnika, pri odločitvi, za katero tehnologijo se bo odločil, je namreč zelo pomembno, katera tehnologija bi bila najprimernejša in hkrati dovolj varna za posamezen primer uporabe.

• Keywords: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, varnost, avtentikacija, grožnje, primeri uporabe