How 5G Core Enables Private Networks for Enterprise-Grade Security

5G core is essential for facilitating enterprise-grade security for private networks. Besides security, 5GC provides admins unparalleled control and enhanced performance. Compared to the past generation of mobile networks, 5G core relies on a service-based architecture that allows cloud-based integration. 

Perhaps the best thing about this technology is that it’s highly customizable, which is perfect for different use cases. You can even integrate 5GC with your legacy systems by using solutions like Diameter Signaling Controller (DSC). 

In this article, we will explain how 5G core enables enterprise-grade security for private networks. We’ll focus on all the benefits that you’ll get by upgrading your company’s network. 

1. Network Slicing

Perhaps the most important thing about 5GC is that it utilizes network slicing. With this concept, you’re able to create numerous virtual networks on the same physical infrastructure. Each slice is a separate entity that you can customize for a specific business purpose.

Companies can modify different settings, ranging from latency to bandwidth and security. That way, you can prioritize speed, reliability, or specific other features. For example, you might require ultra-low latency for medical equipment and secure communication for financial platforms.

In a nutshell, each slice functions like a separate private network without the need to create separate infrastructures. This significantly improves a company’s operations without incurring extra costs.

On top of that, you can introduce diverse security policies for each slice, customized for the underlying apps. Businesses can change rules for firewalls, authentication, and encryption, which leads to end-to-end logical isolation. This effectively reduces the attack surface and allows you to mitigate inherent cybersecurity risks. 

2. Control and User Plane Separation

One of the fundamental principles of 5GC is CUPS – Control and User Plane Separation. With this concept, companies can achieve incredible security and flexibility during deployments that weren’t possible with past generations of networks. 

In old networks, there was a close relationship between user and control functions. In this configuration, user functions tackled functions such as data forwarding, while control plan functions were responsible for mobility and session management. 

CUPS ensures that we can use user and control planes separately. As a result, you can deploy UPF (user plane function) closer to the data source, such as the network edge, company premises, or private cloud. 

Through localization, you make sure that the date never leaves the site. Not only will this improve compliance with the current laws, but you will also reduce data exposure to outside threats. On the other hand, you can centralize the control plane, allowing the company or its partners to manage it remotely. 

Through this form of separation, companies are able to achieve the following benefits:

• Reduce latency
• Optimize performance
• Improve security 

Control and user plane separation is especially useful for hybrid networks. It enables businesses to utilize public infrastructure while maintaining full control over their data. 

3. Integration With Current Infrastructure 

Despite being leaps and bounds ahead of 3G and 4G LTE, 5G can easily be combined with legacy systems. This is very important for security and continuity. Most companies will maintain their existing infrastructure and systems as they gradually transition to modern networking solutions.

Given that 5G core relies on open interfaces, you can interoperate it with various corporate hardware and software, including intrusion detection systems, firewalls, network access control, and other tools. Ultimately, this will provide your IT team with a centralized insight into user behavior, as well as device and network usage. 

Through integration, companies can achieve the following benefits:

• Compliance reporting streamlining
• Treat detection unification
• Incident response automation 

Easy integration is especially important for large corporations that can’t make the full transition toward 5G overnight. By relying on open-source technology, these businesses can integrate a modern network core with their existing infrastructure, rather than keeping it isolated from other processes. 

4. Identity and Access Management

IAM, or identity and access management, is an essential feature of enterprise-grade security. 5GC allows the use of this technology by relying on policy-based authentication, SIM-based, and certificate-based models. Most importantly, they enable zero-trust architecture. 

When a person or device connects to the corporate network, they must undergo standard mutual authentication based on universal 3GPP procedures. There’s also an additional layer of security you can trust, based by hardware. Strict authentication is vital nowadays, especially given how many devices connect to a single network.

On top of all that, 5GC also allows:

• Accounting and session monitoring
• Dynamic authorization and policy enforcement 
• Real-time subscriber profiling 

All these functions provide granular control to large enterprises during network access. Zero-trust principles are especially important nowadays with the rise of IoT devices. With so many machines communicating with each other, the attack surface has become hard to control. This is why your network should be able to securely authenticate each person and device. 

5. Cloud and On-Premise Deployments 

Another great advantage of 5GC is that it offers several deployment options. Smaller, web-based companies especially benefit from cloud deployment. On the other hand, if you’re running a large business with hundreds of employees in the office, you should prioritize on-premise deployment. 

On-Premise Deployment 

Data integrity doesn’t hold the same value for all industries. While smaller companies may not prioritize their company information as much, data sovereignty is crucial for corporations in energy, defense, manufacturing, and healthcare. This is why they must always prioritize on-premise deployment, which gives them full control over their private data.

Cloud-Based Deployment 

For companies that don’t care much about latency and don’t have any proprietary secrets, cloud-based deployment is a perfect solution. While brands might not enjoy the same level of control as with private networks, they will have much more agility and flexibility. Cloud-based deployment is particularly beneficial for companies with offices worldwide. 

Hybrid Deployment 

In this configuration, the user plane function is deployed on premises, ensuring full data control and low latency. On the other hand, control plane functions are on the cloud and are handled by their provider. 

Conclusion

5G core has become vital for enterprise-grade security. It provides numerous functions that ensure data integrity by preventing unauthorized access.

Related Post: Top 8 Challenges Faced During 5G Network Deployment