Chapter 10 - 6G network security

As 6G networks evolve, they offer unprecedented opportunities for developing new business models, but they also face complex security challenges. This chapter explores the intricate dimensions of 6G network security, emphasizing the evolving threat landscape, advanced anomaly detection techniques, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), and Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). In addressing the ever-expanding 6G threat landscape, 6G vulnerabilities, especially supply chain vulnerabilities, provide insight into threat analysis, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI)- and machine learning-based threats and emerging attack vectors. Since advanced anomaly detection techniques are crucial for identifying and mitigating threats, the focus is particularly on AI-driven anomaly detection systems, using methods such as temporal graph neural networks, which allow the detection of deviations in complex and dynamic environments. Security-by-design is a fundamental principle for cybersecurity; this is addressed in service-based architectures and investigates the natural mapping of ZTA principles, ensuring authentication, authorization, and robust encryption for all network interactions. ... mehrFurthermore, the roles of crucial components such as network repository function, service communication proxy, and network exposure function in enabling secure operations are analyzed. Finally, this chapter explores the implementation of TEEs to fortify hardware-level security and tenant isolation in shared 6G infrastructure. This chapter concludes with insights on deploying proactive security strategies, leveraging threat monitoring, anomaly detection, ZTA, and TEEs to safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and reliability of 6G networks. These measures are essential for realizing the potential of 6G as a secure and resilient global communication infrastructure.