# A Systematic Survey on 5G and 6G Security Considerations, Challenges, Trends, and Research Areas
## 6 Conclusions
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline
**Security Challenge** & **Proposed Resolution** \\ \hline
5G-AKA user privacy and traceability exposure [22] & Encrypt the initial control messages during the 5G-AKA authentication procedure. \\ \hline Compromised USIM leading to data privacy issues [26] & Utilize a Diffie-Hellman key exchange to enable PFS. \\ \hline Key refresh for the UE and serving network & TS 33.501 [2] states that 24 h is the maximum time a key can be valid but does allow for operators to refresh keys on a more frequent basis. \\ \hline Exposure of an NFV hypervisor due to misconfiguration and cross contamination of shared resources [28; 29] & Provided clear and succinct steps for configuration of systems and implemented a ZTA with mutual authentication and constant network monitoring. \\ \hline Potential loss of confidentiality when connected to an untrusted core network & Careful consideration of network usage in a roaming scenario, mutual authentication and adopting ZTA. \\ \hline Securing backhaul networks in 5G [37] & The use of mutual authentication for devices on the network, ZTA, PFS, light-weight cryptography, and physical tamper resistance. \\ \hline Network downtime due to specific vendor software problems & Usage of an O-RAN architecture that gives operators more fine-grained control over the security and operation of their network [66]. \\ \hline Verifying security robustness of open source software and O-RAN architecture & Usage of a closed-loop security management system outlined in [71]. \\ \hline Network slicing attacks using adversarial machine learning with the goal of forcing the appearance of a hard-to-find vulnerability [74] & Train AI/ML models with adversarial methods in mind [79]. \\ \hline Eavesdroppers on the physical channel in 5G communications & The usage of beamforming to create a more focused connection between the UE and gNB, achieving weak signal strength outside of the narrow beam region [91]. \\ \hline Passive eavesdroppers on a link with RIS-aided beamforming & Utilize multiplicative random process at the RIS to mitigate the effectiveness of a passive eavesdropper [60]. \\ \hline Illegal addition of RIS-aided beamforming equipment & Enforce strict authentication methods for RIS systems and continuously monitor the radio conditions at the edge of the deployment, possibly through the use of AI/ML. \\ \hline Security measures for resource-constrained IoT devices & A lightweight crypto algorithm presented in [97] to securely connect 5G IoT devices over D2D. \\ \hline Evaluation of trust in a ZTA & Trust evaluation schemes discussed in [103] to support the needs of tactical edge networks in a military setting. \\ \hline Connection and authentication of critical infrastructure over 5G & A novel approach of connecting power grid devices over 5G in a ZTA is discussed in [107]. \\ \hline False base stations attack in ultra-dense networks & Using blockchain technology to verify a cluster of base stations in an ultra-dense network is presented in [112], claiming it is more efficient than normal authentication methods. \\ \hline Maintaining confidentiality in a world with quantum computers & NIST has published three drafts [126; 128; 130] of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms that are currently not breakable by quantum computers. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: A list of the most important security challenges and their proposed resolutions that have been uncovered in this survey. This article serves as a comprehensive survey of understanding the diverse nature of 5G security, its limitations, risks, and potential solutions. It highlights valuable insights into the operational mechanisms of 5G security and the importance of robust security protocols for stakeholders across the 5G and 6G community. As 5G continues to evolve into 6G, the principles and findings outlined in this survey and the accompanying literature will be vital in shaping the security landscape around 6G and beyond. Investigation, P.S., M.B., M.H. and H.S.