Risk assessment and mitigation of information security threats in 5G networks

Smirnov, Ivan (author), Koucheryavy, Yevgeni (author)

The 5G communication networks have been destined to become one of the pillars of the digital economy, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotization. The 5G networks have inherited many vulnerabilities from the preceding systems. In this regard, the issue of a proper information security (IS) is one of the highest priorities. Our aim is to assess the risks of realizing some IS threats in 5G wireless networks and propose security measures to mitigate them. In particular, we analyze vulnerabilities for the 5G networks related to the user device (UE), wireless interface (Air Interface), core network (CN), application server, open-source applications, AI, physical layer threats, threats from a poorly secured 4G/LTE network, SDN security related to vulnerabilities in SSH using various attacks such as Terrapin attack, as well as regulatory requirements. We propose measures to reduce by some 16% the threat probabilities and their impacts benefitting from ISPs and telecoms to avoid problems related to the data availability, leakage and compromise.

• Language: English
• Keywords: IMT-2020, 5G, wireless technologies, technical specification, information security, CASE
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 104-114
• Numbering: Letn. 92, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183299
• UDC: 004.056
• ISSN on article: 0013-5852
• COBISS.SI-ID: 280416003
• Publication date in RUL: 10.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Elektrotehniški vestnik
• Publisher: Strokovna zadruga koncesijoniranih elektrotehnikov, Elektrotehniška zveza Slovenije
• ISSN: 0013-5852
• COBISS.SI-ID: 742916

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ocena tveganj in omilitveni ukrepi proti grožnjam informacijski varnosti v omrežjih 5G

Abstract

Komunikacijska omrežja 5G so temeljni steber digitalnega gospodarstva, ki ga poganjajo umetna inteligenca, strojno učenje, veliki podatki, internet stvari in robotizacija. Omrežja 5G so podedovala številne ranljivosti od prejšnjih sistemov, zato je vprašanje ustrezne informacijske varnosti (IV) ena izmed najvišjih prioritet. Naš cilj je oceniti tveganja uresničitve določenih groženj IV v brezžičnih omrežjih 5G in predlagati varnostne ukrepe za njihovo omilitev. Posebej analiziramo ranljivosti v omrežjih 5G, povezane z uporabniško napravo, brezžičnim vmesnikom, osrednjim omrežjem, aplikacijskimi strežniki, odprtokodnimi aplikacijami, umetno inteligenco, grožnjami na fizičnem nivoju, grožnjami zaradi slabo zavarovanih omrežij 4G/LTE, varnostjo programsko definiranih omrežij ter zakonodajnimi zahtevami. Predlagamo ukrepe, s katerimi bi verjetnosti in vplive groženj zmanjšali za okoli 16 %, da bi se ponudniki internetnih storitev in telekomunikacijska podjetja izognili težavam, povezanim z razpoložljivostjo podatkov, njihovim uhajanjem ali kompromitiranjem

• Keywords: digitalno gospodarstvo, umetna inteligenca, strojno učenje, informacijska varnost, zakonodajne zahteve