Network Slicing in 5G and the Security Concerns

The fifth-generation (5G) of mobile communications is currently being rolled out, with service providers adopting it in their networks. 5G enables the connection of multiple devices and their communication over the Internet, giving it the capability to support the Internet of Things (IoT). One of the technologies behind its support of multiple and diverse devices is the network slicing technology which helps in managing the logical networks comprising of different user equipment. The objective of the present study is to explore the network slicing technology and investigate the security concerns that it introduces to 5G. The study adopts the systematic review, which is a qualitative methodology, for gathering and analyzing data. The review comprises of the analysis of various literature sources obtained from Google Scholar, IEEE, and the Cochrane Library. The data analysis process is thematic in nature, focusing on security challenges, their solutions, and the merits of network slicing. The literature findings indicate that network slicing has two major challenges, namely security and the implementation of 5G radio access network (RAN) to accommodate slicing. The potential solutions to these challenges include network isolation through slicing, cryptography, authentication, and manual slice allocation to different devices. The principle conclusions derived from the proposed study are that the network slicing is suitable for 5G and the solutions remain effective in minimizing the security risks it poses to the network.