Mobile Networks Security Landscape 73
Security monitoring for the mobile network needs to offer some advance security
services such as:
● vulnerability tests;
● regular security health check for entire network;
● flow‐based network visibility;
● security alert management system; and
● traffic monitoring and inspection.
3.4 Conclusion
In this chapter, we covered the evolving threat landscape of mobile networks, starting
from 1G when mobile offered voice only services and when the security threats mostly
revolved around financial gains by cloning the mobile phones. We then discussed how
the security threats evolved and targeted the mobile network infrastructure, such as
base stations, causing wider impact. With the introduction of data services and mobile
devices replaced by handheld computing devices called smartphones, mobile networks
built over an IP core, security threats also widened remarkably. Attacks once targeted at
computers were leveraged and reused for mobile devices, the aim now beyond financial
gains, as new threats such as espionage and DDoS attacks were introduced. Mobile
devices were a major source of carrying the spywares, worms and malwares, and every
day a new vulnerability was found in mobile OSes, as billions of devices gained access to
insecure apps, causing unconceivable impact. 5G networks carrying forward the legacy
of previous networks are also planned to serve as a critical infrastructure for business
and offers new capabilities such as cloud, IoT and ultra‐broadband, which will face
unique challenges and become the target of sophisticated security threats such as
ransomware and Botnets.
We also discussed a security lifecycle approach to offer effective and comprehensive
protection mechanisms for modern mobile devices and networks. Various stages of
mobile devices and its participation in the network were discussed in detail. Following
an end‐to‐end multi‐stage lifecycle approach can help build a security wall around
evolving networks, such as LTE and 5G.
References
1 White paper, 5G Vision, by 5GPPP supported by the European Commission. Available at:
https://5g‐ppp.eu/wp‐content/uploads/2015/02/5G‐Vision‐Brochure‐v1.pdf
2 Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2015–2020,
White Paper. Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service‐
provider/visual‐networking‐index‐vni/mobile‐white‐paper‐c11‐520862.html;
http://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSIWhitePapers/etsi_wp1_security.pdf
3 Yahoo Discloses New Breach of 1 Billion User Accounts. Available at: http://www.wsj.
com/articles/yahoo‐discloses‐new‐breach‐of‐1‐billion‐user‐accounts‐1481753131
Security monitoring for the mobile network needs to offer some advance security
services such as:
● vulnerability tests;
● regular security health check for entire network;
● flow‐based network visibility;
● security alert management system; and
● traffic monitoring and inspection.
3.4 Conclusion
In this chapter, we covered the evolving threat landscape of mobile networks, starting
from 1G when mobile offered voice only services and when the security threats mostly
revolved around financial gains by cloning the mobile phones. We then discussed how
the security threats evolved and targeted the mobile network infrastructure, such as
base stations, causing wider impact. With the introduction of data services and mobile
devices replaced by handheld computing devices called smartphones, mobile networks
built over an IP core, security threats also widened remarkably. Attacks once targeted at
computers were leveraged and reused for mobile devices, the aim now beyond financial
gains, as new threats such as espionage and DDoS attacks were introduced. Mobile
devices were a major source of carrying the spywares, worms and malwares, and every
day a new vulnerability was found in mobile OSes, as billions of devices gained access to
insecure apps, causing unconceivable impact. 5G networks carrying forward the legacy
of previous networks are also planned to serve as a critical infrastructure for business
and offers new capabilities such as cloud, IoT and ultra‐broadband, which will face
unique challenges and become the target of sophisticated security threats such as
ransomware and Botnets.
We also discussed a security lifecycle approach to offer effective and comprehensive
protection mechanisms for modern mobile devices and networks. Various stages of
mobile devices and its participation in the network were discussed in detail. Following
an end‐to‐end multi‐stage lifecycle approach can help build a security wall around
evolving networks, such as LTE and 5G.
References
1 White paper, 5G Vision, by 5GPPP supported by the European Commission. Available at:
https://5g‐ppp.eu/wp‐content/uploads/2015/02/5G‐Vision‐Brochure‐v1.pdf
2 Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2015–2020,
White Paper. Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service‐
provider/visual‐networking‐index‐vni/mobile‐white‐paper‐c11‐520862.html;
http://www.etsi.org/images/files/ETSIWhitePapers/etsi_wp1_security.pdf
3 Yahoo Discloses New Breach of 1 Billion User Accounts. Available at: http://www.wsj.
com/articles/yahoo‐discloses‐new‐breach‐of‐1‐billion‐user‐accounts‐1481753131