NSA, CISA publish next phase of 5G cybersecurity guidance

US organisations the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have published the third installment of their 5G cybersecurity guidance. 

The guidance, published by Enduring Security Framework experts (ESF) from the organsiations, aims to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data within a 5G core cloud infrastructure.

Devices and services connected through 5G networks transmit, use, and store an exponentially increasing amount of data. This third installment of the Security Guidance for 5G Cloud Infrastructures four-part series explains how to protect sensitive data from unauthorised access.

“Data protection is critical because our adversaries are constantly attempting to steal our sensitive data,” says Natalie Pittore, Chief of ESF in NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. “As the amount of data increases, it is even more important that we all prioritise securing data in all stages of its lifecycle.  This guidance can help us do that.”

The role of data in the modern world and the importance of confidentiality and security

Data traversing 5G networks must remain confidential.  This latest guidance for 5G cloud infrastructures explains how to protect data in transit, at rest, or in use through the use of encryption, cryptographic keys, and secure protocols.

“Data in a network as vast as 5G cloud infrastructures cannot be secured by a solitary entity,” said Morgan Adamski, the Chief of NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. “It takes the collaboration of government agencies and our industry partners. When we combine our unique perspectives, we can fit together the pieces of the puzzle and solve critical cybersecurity issues.”

“Data is an incredibly valuable resource driving every industry in the modern world,” noted Bob Kolasky, CISA Assistant Director for the National Risk Management Center. “This makes it an especially attractive target for adversaries. This paper highlights the importance of government and industry coordination in addressing the complex task of protecting our critical data. As with the previous two parts of this series, CISA encourages the 5G community to review this guidance and take actionable steps to help strengthen the Nation's 5G cloud infrastructure.”

This recent release from the Enduring Security Framework, a public-private cross-sector working group led by NSA and CISA, provides best practices to secure data in 5G cloud environments, CISA said in a statement.

Image: NSA