NETWORK SECURITY VULNERABILITIES IN 5G COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND THEIR MITIGATION TECHNIQUES

Abstract

Fifth Generation (5G) communication systems have enabled wireless communication to achieve ultra-high data rates, low latency, connectivity of a massive number of devices, and improved reliability. Rapid growth and acceptance of modern innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Artificial intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, Smart Health-care and Industrial Automation. However, the added advantages of 5G comes with its own set of complexities, which exposes new cyber-risk that are arising from SDN, NFV, network slicing edge computing and massive device connectivities. These advanced threats cannot be addressed with traditional network security mechanisms. In this article, principal security threats in 5G communication networks and review state-of-the-art mitigation methods to enhance the enterprise and telecommunications security. The paper conducts systematic literature review and analyses the common risks such as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, signalling attack, spoofing, malware/network slice/programming assault, virtualisation vulnerabilities and insider threats/privacy breaches. This suggest a theoretical framework security framework based on Zero Trust architecture, AI-based threat detection, encryption, and authentication intrusion detection systems (IDS) continuously monitoring security events. According to the review, incorporating AI Powered Security Analytics, Zero Trust Architecture, network segmentation and blockchain along with Automated Threat Response could substantially strengthen the posture of 5G infrastructures. Still, implementation challenges persist including computational overhead, interoperability and privacy concerns as well as new attack strategies. This study advises multi-layered security architectures, AI-enabled threat intelligence and continuous risk assessment in a bid to establish robust protection mechanisms for future 5G networks as well as having standardized policies set into action.