5G

Introduction The development of mobile networks has been intrinsically linked to the evolution of user security. In previous generation architectures (2G, 3G, and 4G), subscriber identity management relied on the transmission of the IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) in plain text during certain phases of the registration protocol. This design, while functional for network interconnection, created a cryptographic vulnerability of a physical nature. The exposure of the IMSI allows the execution of passive capture attacks, commonly known as IMSI catchers. These devices operate as fake base stations, whose objective is not to decrypt encrypted traffic, but simply to intercept the identity in clear text, which enables tracking and data correlation over time and space. ...

Introduction 5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks, designed to surpass 4G significantly in speed, capacity, and latency. Its objective is not limited to just browsing the internet faster, but to enable entirely new applications, such as autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, real-time telemedicine, and millions of connected devices simultaneously in the Internet of Things (IoT). In technical terms, 5G is characterized by three main pillars: eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) for high-speed and large-capacity connections, URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications) for critical communications with minimal latency, and mMTC (massive Machine-Type Communications) for efficiently connecting millions of IoT devices. ...