5G cybersecurity concerns grow faster than the technology itself. These networks now deliver speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, which is incredible, but speed always comes at a cost, usually security.

As a result, security teams now face mounting challenges, with 3.5 billion 5G connections predicted worldwide by the end of 2025. Adding to these concerns, 98% of IoT traffic remains unencrypted. Unfortunately, traditional security measures don't deal very well with new vulnerabilities created by the technology's expanded attack surface and dense network infrastructure. To take it out of cybersecurity, it’s much easier to defend a single building than an entire city, and it’s easier to defend a city than an entire country. The larger the perimeter, the more potential access points there are.

So what does this mean for your security team? It means they need to understand critical attack vectors beyond your current frameworks - they need to also learn the critical attack vectors specific to 5G infrastructure. This piece provides ground examples and practical defense strategies that help safeguard your network.

Understanding the 5G Security Landscape

5G networks' basic architecture represents a major change from earlier generations. This change comes mainly due to 5G's operation on cloud-based infrastructure similar to web applications that run in microservices. Note as well that 5G brings three distinct security considerations: carrier networks, private 5G networks, and hybrid 5G networks.

Key differences from 4G security

5G's security architecture outperforms 4G through several vital improvements:

• Enhanced subscriber privacy with encrypted IMSI transmission
• Improved authentication with new server functions
• User traffic integrity protection
• Stronger roaming interface security
• Mutual authentication across key interfaces

5G implements optional user plane integrity protection and adds two new nodes - the Authentication Server Function and Security Anchor Function. These nodes create better separation between serving networks and home networks, making it more difficult to achieve authentication spoofing.

Why traditional defenses fall short

Traditional security measures don't work well for 5G networks because they can't depend on conventional infrastructure security methods. The networks themselves rely heavily upon a supply chain that is often untested and unknowingly compromised.

Making it even more difficult is the fact that 5G needs more ICT components than previous generations because, as noted above, the network's cloud-native architecture and edge computing capabilities create a much bigger attack surface. Side-channel attacks pose a real threat, especially when you have malicious actors who can exploit misconfigured cloud computing environments instead of attacking 5G protocols directly.

5G supports billions of devices, which opens doors for state-of-the-art solutions, but creates security risks at the same time. We’ve already noted that the biggest problem is that 98% of IoT traffic remains unencrypted, obviously exposing sensitive data and personal information. However, 5G architecture's distributed nature and its support for massive machine-type communication make traditional centralized security approaches inadequate to protect these expanded network boundaries.

Critical 5G Attack Vectors

"Network slicing allows users to be authenticated for only one network area, enabling data and security isolation. However, network slicing can be difficult to manage, and the slices add complexity to the network. While there are standards defining specifications for how operators build their 5G networks, there are no clear specifications for how network operators should develop and implement security for network slicing. Improper network slice management may allow malicious actors to access data from different slices or deny access to prioritized users.

-”Potential Threat Vectors to 5g Infrastructure,” US Director of National Intelligence

Network slicing vulnerabilities

Network slicing, a key feature of 5G infrastructure, faces critical security challenges. Improper slice management allows malicious actors to access data across different network segments. Denial-of-service attacks that target one slice can affect others through shared resources. The lack of standardized security specifications for network slicing implementation creates more risks.

Edge computing risks

5G networks' edge computing introduces substantial security concerns. Malicious actors can exploit edge computing vulnerabilities to intercept, manipulate, and destroy sensitive data, and system components like hypervisors and operating systems at the edge provide more attack vectors.

IoT device exploitation

5G networks' massive scale of IoT connectivity presents unprecedented security challenges. The potential attack surface expands dramatically with 5G's capacity to connect billions of devices. The security scene becomes more complex as:

• IoT traffic is often unencrypted
• Many devices lack resilient security features
• Default passwords remain a prevalent vulnerability
• Resource constraints prevent traditional security measures

Supply chain attacks

Supply chain vulnerabilities pose a major threat to 5G infrastructure. The introduction of counterfeit components makes networks more susceptible to cyber-attacks. Extended supply chains with multiple third-party vendors and service providers create more entry points for malicious actors, and these compromised components allow attackers to move laterally within networks and potentially affect sensitive areas of the infrastructure.

Real-World 5G Security Breaches

Security incidents targeting 5G infrastructure have become increasingly sophisticated. The 2016 DDoS attacks against DNS provider, Dyn, showed how widespread disruption could become. Major platforms like Amazon, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal felt the impact.

Recent attack examples

The FBI has uncovered many cases of intellectual property theft and fraud linked to 5G vendors. Malicious actors successfully exploited GTP-U vulnerabilities, as evidenced in CVE-2021-45462. Attackers used simple Python code to launch denial-of-service attacks against private 5G networks.

Supply chain security remains vulnerable. Counterfeit components have been discovered during manufacturing stages. These modified parts look identical to legitimate components and target government contractors through discounted, compromised products.

Impact analysis

Successful attacks create disruptions that ripple through the entire system. Even with 5G's improved security features, successful breaches have led to:

• Data and intellectual property theft damaging network integrity's reputation
• System performance issues in critical services
• Unauthorized access to sensitive information
• Network outages from cascading failures

Cybercriminals now prefer "big game hunting" tactics and target high-profile organizations for financial gain. The years 2022 and 2023 witnessed a surge in disruptive DDoS attacks, fueled by geopolitical tensions and 5G technology's rapid expansion.

Essential Defense Strategies

"With the potential for the connection of billions of 5G devices, there is an increased risk for untrusted or counterfeit components to be introduced within the 5G supply chain." — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, U.S. federal agency responsible for cybersecurity

The good news, though, is that the theory behind 5G defenses is the same as any network: you need a layered defense strategy that combines advanced monitoring tools, intelligent threat detection, and automated response protocols.

Network monitoring tools

Network visibility is the life-blood of 5G security. You need tools that provide end-to-end monitoring of control plane and user plane traffic. These monitoring solutions adapt to 5G networks' ever-changing nature and give live insights into service quality and performance metrics.

Threat detection systems

AI-powered analytics are the foundations of advanced threat detection to process such large amounts of network data. These sophisticated systems cut response times by up to 90% compared to traditional methods. Machine learning models can analyze network behavior patterns to create baselines and spot anomalies that might signal threats.

Everything in modern threat detection includes:

• Zero-trust verification of all devices and users
• Continuous validation of endpoint devices
• Live traffic analysis for unexpected communication patterns
• AI-enabled security auditing of container behavior

Response protocols

Automated response mechanisms make up the final defense layer. These systems work independently and implement countermeasures without human intervention to minimize vulnerability windows. It’s also important to handle encryption keys securely and set up strict access controls to protect data and, as always, response protocols work best with properly configured enforcement policies and continuous monitoring of router and firewall settings.

Conclusion

5G technology offers amazing speed and continuous connection, but it also creates major security risks. Security teams must watch closely as attack surfaces grow and threats become more complex.

Standard security tools don't work well against modern 5G vulnerabilities. Between unencrypted traffic, an expanded attack surface, and untested/malicious supply chain components, organizations need detailed defense strategies that combine network monitoring, AI-powered threat detection, and automated response protocols.

Protecting 5G infrastructure requires a clear understanding of all possible attack vectors. Teams should focus on network slicing vulnerabilities, edge computing risks, IoT device exploitation, and supply chain attacks. Each needs specific security measures requiring you to build a defense-in-depth strategy that takes your standard security practices and gives them a shot of steroids.

The first step is to set up reliable monitoring tools and clear response protocols. Next, AI-powered threat detection systems can then identify and stop potential threats before damage occurs. Lastly, have strategies in place to provide your network with constant updates and improvements as new threats surface.