The Threat of Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack for User Equipment in 5G Networks

In an existing study by Positive Technologies, researchers simulated a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on User Equipment (UE). The goal was to test the impact of a Distributed Denial of Service attack by studying the Diameter signaling protocol, which coordinates data among different IP network elements. The result revealed that 5G networks were vulnerable to DDoS attacks and a successful attack on UE can cause devastating damage. Therefore, mobile security must be a top priority for all operators. 5G is intended to cover a wide range of needs and use cases, enhancing the user’s perspective. 5G will also be able to deliver excellent security by considering authentication and access control systems. In modeling 5G authentication and access control, it is critical to consider both legacy AKA’s flaws and 5G’s new expectations. In this study, we examine the 3GPP’s current 5G architectural solutions.