A 5G Core Network Challenge: Combining Flexibility and Security

While a 5G network encompasses relevant technical advances and innovations in communications technologies for air interfaces, network infrastructure and a wider use of photonics, its peculiar features rely in a cloud-native, softwarized and service-oriented paradigm. This deep transformation enables unprecedented flexibility, agility, dynamicity for service delivery, deployment and operational efficiency. However, with the tremendous growth of sensitive and valuable data and the complexity and the variety of deployment and configuration options in different scenarios, the security threats and vulnerabilities landscape in 5G is a high concern. This paper aims at providing an overview on 5G core network challenges, arising when unprecedented flexibility, enabled by 5G core networks, is analyzed from a security perspective, also considering the standardization state of the art of main components.