Securing elastic radio access networks

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To meet the surge in demand for connectivity in 5G networks, mobile network operators (MNOs) are finding it difficult to offset the CAPEX/OPEX of traditional Radio Access Networks (RANs). Cloud RANs (C-RANs) are a feasible alternative, offering seemingly infinite resources, centralized operation of baseband units (BBUs), and scalable deployment of lightweight remote radio heads (RRHs). Elastic RAN (E-RAN), Ericsson's implementation of C-RAN, provides baseband networking to enable flexible coordination between virtual BBUs and virtual RRHs that are managed via software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV). E-RAN focuses on the flexible 5G network slicing to meet end-user demands for different levels of QoS. Furthermore, virtualization and elastic resource allocation in E-RAN facilitate on-demand hosting of additional services such as Content Distribution Network (CDN) services within the E-RAN. However, as E-RANs consist of a large number of resources that act as pivotal connecting points, a security breach, such as a DDoS attack, could compromise the integrity of system and data, and disrupt services and degrade QoS/QoE for legitimate end-users. Hence, it is imperative to secure E-RANs and their services, to ensure high levels of robustness and dependability.Our objectives include: (i) automatically protect E-RANs against DDoS attacks, and (ii) efficiently and automatically deploy countermeasures at the network edge. We will leverage machine learning (ML) to develop novel techniques for anomaly-based intrusion detection. For response and mitigation, we will leverage ML and the flexibility of SDN/NFV for efficient network slice reconfiguration across a multi-tenant E-RAN infrastructure. The proposed research will broaden the scope of intrusion detection and mitigation, including protection against zero-day threats in E-RANs. Advances made in collaboration with the industry partner, Ericsson Canada, will have an impact on securing C-RANs for Canadian MNOs.