A Survey for Intrusion Detection Systems in Open RAN

Open Radio Access Network (RAN) introduces a groundbreaking industry standard for Radio Access Networks, fostering vendor interoperability and network flexibility through open interfaces while leveraging network softwarization, Artificial, and Machine Learning Intelligence; however, it also poses significant security challenges due to its unique configuration, prompting stakeholders to cautiously approach its deployment and necessitating thorough analysis and implementation of security measures and standards. This paper systematically examines existing literature and case studies to underscore the indispensable role of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) in identifying and mitigating security breaches within Open RAN environments. We elucidate the distinct challenges that Open RAN’s disaggregated architecture introduced and classify them into technical and non-technical threats. Finally, we discussed a series of new advancements gaining momentum in the Open RAN security domain and provided insights for future research directions.