FEATURE : MOBILE SECURITY
EU CITIZENS AND COMPANIES USING ADVANCED AND INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS ENABLED BY 5G AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS SHOULD BENEFIT FROM THE HIGHEST SECURITY STANDARD .
could also help increase visibility of the network thanks to the use of open interfaces and standards , reduce human errors through greater automation and increase flexibility through the use of virtualisation and cloudbased solutions .
However , the Open RAN concept still lacks maturity and cybersecurity remains a significant challenge .
Especially in the short term , by increasing the complexity of networks , Open RAN would exacerbate a number of security risks . Those risks include a larger attack surface and more entry points for malicious actors , an increased risk of misconfiguration of networks and potential impacts on other network functions due to resource sharing . The report also notes that technical specifications , such as those developed by the O-RAN Alliance , are not sufficiently mature and secure by design . Open RAN could lead to new or increased critical dependencies , for example in the area of components and cloud .
To mitigate these risks and leverage potential opportunities of Open RAN , the report recommends a number of actions based on the EU 5G Toolbox , in particular :
• Using regulatory powers to be able to scrutinise large-scale Open RAN deployment plans from mobile operators and if needed , restrict , prohibit and / or impose specific requirements or conditions for the supply , large-scale deployment and operation of the Open RAN network equipment .
• Reinforcing key technical controls such as authentication and authorisation and adapting the monitoring design to a modular environment where each component is monitored .
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