Background

The proliferation of IoT devices and solutions have opened up many opportunities and new use cases for consumers, private networks, industrial applications, and critical communications services. This massive increase in adoption and utilization of new technology will, at the same time, escalate security vulnerabilities. As security is always a continuous concern, there has been an increased focus on hardware-based security, which has shown solid capability in helping to secure devices, minimize risks, and protect digital assets.

Hardware-based Security for 5G Networks

The ideal security framework should address security at every layer, safeguard entire systems from each sensor node to cloud. Embedded security ICs can provide features such as layers of advanced physical security, cryptographic algorithms, secure boot, encryption, secure key storage, and digital signature generation and verification.

5G networks have wider distribution, web-based, open, and multivendor, with the ability to increase in use of applications and interfaces, which further increases potential vulnerabilities. 5G network functions requires workload code and data protection, secure key management, and application programming interface (API) security. Therefore, it is essential for 5G networks to have an edge-to-core framework that presents the smallest possible attack surface.

Enhanced 5G Network Security Protection

Traditional perimeter-based security controls, such as basic firewall or data encryption, are no longer sufficient. Service providers can use Intel® built-in hardware security capabilities to reduce cybersecurity risks and improve overall productivity and usability. The 3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors with Intel® SGX reduces the attack surface and protects sensitive keys, code, and data while in-use, in transit and at rest. An effective 5G security framework requires three primary areas of protection:

  • Key Management Security

Keys are used to provide authentication and encryption for network and workload security. Private security keys and digital keys management safeguards for strong authentication.

  • Crypto Acceleration

Crypto acceleration performs cryptographic functions in hardware instead of software, which helps to ensure that the encrypted network traffic is flowing at the highest speed, and improving network security processing performance.

  • Platform Firmware Resilience

Every platform should have elemental firmware components for boot and operating requirements. It is crucial for the platform firmware to be authentic with additional resilience, to be the trusted anchor for the entire platform. It then has the ability to run critical software processes and protect highly sensitive data against intrusion, tampering, malware, spyware, ransomware, and data leakage.

When service providers are able to secure and enhance these above areas, they will have the ability to take advantage of emerging trends, such as confidential computing, and realize the full potential of 5G infrastructure to offer new service opportunities and increase customer confidence.

Hardware-based Security Solutions

A robust 5G security infrastructure must have a solid foundation. Lanner network appliances provides the essential hardware-based security solution to assist service providers to resolve 5G security challenges such as secure key management, crypto acceleration, and platform firmware resilience. Lanner aim to provide continued advancement of network security capabilities and help service providers meet their evolving security requirements.

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