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China Southern Power, CAICT, Huawei Release White Paper on 5G VPP Security

SHENZHEN - The 5G Deterministic Networking Alliance (5GDNA), 5G Applications Industry Array (5GAIA), and their partners released the 5G Virtual Private Networks for Electric Power White Paper: Network Security at the recent 5G Deterministic Networking Alliance Conference. The white paper proposes a security reference model and security architecture for 5G networks designed for the electric power industry, a press release stated by Huawei. 

The white paper was prepared in partnership with the following organizations: China Southern Power Grid, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Electric Power Research Institute, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Huawei, China State Grid Fujian Electric Power, and China State Grid Henan Information & Telecommunication.

This publication is the industry's first white paper on 5G network security specifically targeted to the electric power industry. It is the first step in achieving industry consensus among electric power enterprises, telecom operators, and equipment vendors, on the wider application of 5G virtual private networks (VPPs) for electric power.

5G technologies can help accelerate the current transition within the electric power industry to become more digital, network-connected, and intelligent. 5G VPPs specifically designed for the industry can enable all this through network slicing, MEC, capability exposure technologies, and more. These networks would integrate power communications systems into radio access networks (RAN), transport networks (TN), and core networks (CN), resulting in comprehensive coverage, rock-solid security, and optimal resource utilization for power services.

However, security has been a persistent issued for commercial 5G VPPs.

To address this challenge, the white paper analyzes the security requirements of electric power services for basic, advanced, and maximum security services. These requirements include the need for secure partitioning, network exclusivity, horizontal isolation, and vertical authentication.

The white paper then goes on to propose a security reference model that uses isolation, encryption, authentication, monitoring, and responses to address four types of security risks: physical attacks, network attacks, information leakage, and electromagnetic interference. It also recommends a security architecture that covers cloud, pipe, and device security along with security management. Such an architecture would ensure both optimal 5G transmission performance and strong security capabilities.

The goal of the white paper is to start the industry on the path towards the commercialization of 5G VPPs, while ensuring the roll out of robust security solutions. This will help electric power enterprises go digital, driving them towards a greener, more intelligent future.