Addressing network security challenges in 5G Fixed Wireless Access

By: Andrew Green, Director and Senior Engineer, NETSCOUT August 21, 2024

Collected at: https://www.rcrwireless.com/20240821/5g/addressing-network-security-challenges-in-5g-fixed-wireless-access-reader-forum

The telecom sector is undergoing a significant transformation due to rapid technological advancements in AI, cloud computing, 5G, evolving customer expectations and a growing demand for seamless connectivity. Fixed wireless access (FWA) is also emerging as a key growth area, particularly in regions where traditional wired infrastructure is either unavailable or too expensive to implement.

As telecom operators increasingly embrace FWA to expand their service offerings, they encounter new complexities and risks, especially regarding the protection of the mobile network core. Addressing these challenges requires a focus on key issues and strategies, such as enhancing encryption to protect data, implementing robust access controls to prevent unauthorized access and continuously monitoring for anomalies to detect threats early. These are necessary to secure the mobile network core while effectively supporting FWA services, which are rapidly increasing.

In recent years, FWA has become a bright spot for telecom operators struggling with incremental revenue generation. By the end of 2023, more than 120 telecom operators had launched FWA services, leveraging large-spectrum allocations and extensive 5G New Radio (5G NR) coverage. This expansion is set to continue, with 5G expected to account for 85 percent of all FWA connections by 2029. However, the integration of FWA into existing mobile networks introduces significant challenges. For one, FWA users typically consume 20 to 50 times more bandwidth than traditional mobile users, putting immense pressure on network resources. This necessitates robust mobile network security measures to protect against potential threats.

The expanding threat landscape: Why visibility matters

FWA subscriptions are on a strong growth trajectory, set to reach almost 265 million by 2029. While FWA presents a significant revenue opportunity, its lower revenue per bit compared to traditional mobile services poses a challenge to profitability. To maintain service quality, telecom operators must manage bandwidth allocation efficiently, ensuring the mobile network core can handle the increased load without degradation in performance. But unfortunately, that is easier said than done because the widespread adoption of FWA also exposes mobile networks to an increased risk of subscriber-driven malicious and fraudulent traffic.

Insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices, unauthorized tethering and heightened gaming activity can all contribute to the generation of malicious traffic, posing serious threats to network security. Therefore, telecom operators must enhance their core network security measures to detect, mitigate and prevent these threats from compromising the integrity and safety of their networks. That begins by enhancing network visibility.

Comprehensive end-to-end visibility into both user and control plane traffic across core, transport and Radio Access Network (RAN) domains is crucial for mobile operators. The introduction of FWA services and the rollout of 5G Standalone (SA) have intensified these requirements. FWA services connect to numerous devices, some with inadequate or no security protocols in place, increasing the risk of network vulnerabilities.

Importantly, operators also need granular visibility into user traffic to classify specific internal (East-West) and external (North-South) traffic types and control plane visibility to attribute individual subscriber and device identities to user traffic. One way that network operators accomplish this is by investing in advanced Network Detection and Response (NDR) technology. NDR provides packet-level network context about potentially compromised devices and users, which is crucial for gaining the big-picture perspective of active breaches that help security teams quickly identify, understand and respond to threats. In doing so, that network context can offer early warnings about malicious activity, provide contract tracing for infected hosts and enable historical analysis to locate bad actors within the network.

In addition, network operators can also combine an NDR strategy with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to monitor data in use, encryption methods to secure sensitive data and advanced Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection technologies, among others. This complete approach to security can set telecom operators up for success against evolving network threats. With pervasive network visibility at the source of packet capture, telecom operators can use this context to adequately verify and remove anomalies in wireless traffic to ensure the integrity and security of their networks in real-time.

Securing the future of FWA

The rise of 5G FWA presents both opportunities and challenges for telecom operators. Protecting the mobile network core is crucial to ensuring the integrity and profitability of FWA services. By addressing bandwidth consumption, enhancing network visibility and investing in comprehensive security solutions such as NDR and DLP, operators can future-proof their networks against emerging threats. Navigating the complexities of FWA integration while maintaining the performance and security of mobile networks will enable telecom operators to deliver a secure and seamless experience for their customers as 5G continues to mature.