What Role Does the 5G SIM Play in Protecting Private Networks?

ETSI’s annual flagship event on cybersecurity returned this year, welcoming industry experts to discuss themes relating to global regulation and the certification landscape, security verticals and innovation.

Representing TCA, Board member Benoît Collier (IDEMIA) was invited to the Sophia Antipolis stage, in France, to speak at the ETSI Security Conference 2022.

Delivering a talk on: ‘Protecting private networks and subscribers’ privacy by the capabilities of the 5G SIM’, Benoît spoke about the how the advent of 5G had expanded the potential utility for cellular technology. And with 5G SIM deployments continuing to gather pace – with GSMA reporting global 5G connections will surpass two billion by 2025 – why TCA believes protecting the most prominent personal data involved in mobile communications must be a critical consideration for the industry.

Benoît also discussed how there was increasing concern about privacy implications and why enforcing protection – for both organisations and users – was a key focus while the IoT continued to expand.

Later delving into what the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) was and how it can be exposed to vulnerabilities too, Benoît explained the recommended way to enforce privacy was to manage IMSI encryption within the 5G SIM, rather than the device itself.

Speaking about how SIM-based encryption was the “only viable way to establish interoperability across consumer and industrial IoT use-cases”, Benoît was invited, on behalf of TCA, to talk about this topic in more detail following his presentation.

Speaking on the Cybersecurity Magazine podcast, listen to his insight with the publication’s associate editor, Philippa Jefferies, here.

TCA will host a free webinar explaining the latest updates to its ‘Recommended 5G SIM’ on 7 December (10:00am and 17:00pm CET to accommodate all time-zones). Learn from guest speakers, Alejandro Pulido and Irene Alemán Pardo (Valid), about how operators can realise the benefits and opportunities offered by 5G Release 17 service architecture, with the highest levels of security, privacy and functionality. Register here.