5G security solutions
from the edge to the core

Thales 5G security solutions deliver end-to-end encryption and authentication to help organisations protect data across fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul operations as data moves from users and IoT, to radio access, to the edge (including multi-user edge computing) and, finally, in the core network and data stores, including containers.

5G Security Solutions for protecting point-to-point network links

In the past, networks were mostly hardware-based. However, 5G enables a much broader array of connections, including:

• Hardware communicating with virtual machines.
• Virtual machines communicating with virtual machines.
• Virtual machines communicating with containers.
• Containers communicating with containers, and so on.

Thales data in motion security solutions enable Mobile Network Operators to overcome those obstacles by maximising 5G security without compromising performance, with low latency, near-zero jitter and high throughput.

Thales High Speed Encryptors are specifically designed to protect data in motion. They work in Open System Interconnection (OSI) layers 2, 3 and 4 and are three times faster and deliver much lower latency than IPSec. They can be deployed either as hardware or virtual appliances and are FIPS 140-2 level 3, Common Criteria, NATO and UC APL certified. Our High Speed Encryptors also integrate with quantum security solutions, ensuring relevance for years to come.

5G security solutions to protect subscriber credentials & privacy

In the core network, 5G raises significant security challenges:

• Subscriber authentication vector generation: authentication-related keys could be compromised during the authentication process.
• 5G subscriber privacy: insecure subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) encryption key generation, storage and use could compromise subscriber privacy.
• Subscriber key provisioning: authentication-related keys could be compromised during SIM personalisation and provisioning.
• 5G Kubernetes Secrets and Dockers containers: containers running application such as open SSL with cryptographic keys and crypto operations that need to run within the secure boundaries of a FIPS 140-2 L3 hardware Secure Module (HSM).
• PKI Root of Trust: it is paramount to execute all cryptographic functions within a secure environment to ensure both the integrity and the confidentiality of the keys used to encrypt and decrypt data and perform functions such as signing.

Thales solutions meet the performance, flexibility and scalability needed to secure subscriber privacy and authentication from the data centre to the edge. 5G Luna HSMs provide extra security to public key infrastructures (PKIs), including digital certificate management for mobile phone masts. In addition, they perform the de-conceal function for SUPI and Subscriber Concealed Identifier (SUCI) mobile applications faster than any other HSM on the market.

5G security solutions for protecting persistent data for Kubernetes deployment

With 5G, different types of data will be processed at locations from edge to the network core. Securing 5G requires ensuring sensitive data security while also minimising impact on time to market. Encryption combined crypto key management provide consistent protection for sensitive data across containers, on-premises, cloud or hybrid storage.

CipherTrust Transparent Encryption provides consistent encryption of sensitive data across all network configurations and virtual network functions with granular access control. The solution can be deployed in a Kubernetes infrastructure allowing a containerised application to interact with existing persistent storage. This transparently protects the data. CipherTrust Manager centralises cryptographic key management across multiple cloud vendors and hardware storage providers.

Benefits include:

• Transparency: solution offers encrypting data generated from containerised applications without any change to application business logic
• Scalability: solution supports deployments using existing Kubernetes orchestration tools to easily expand or shrink the deployments as per the application requirements
• Control: Thales CipherTrust Manager centralises cryptographic key management across multiple cloud vendors and hardware storage providers
• Auditability: solution supports access control and provides the capability to audit all file operation/access events to protected data. Users can monitor usage via SIEMs to better understand who is accessing the information.