NSA, CISA, and ODNI Release Guidance on Potential Threats to 5G Network Slicing

The National Security Agency (NSA), CISA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), published Potential Threats to 5G Network Slicing. This guidance—created by the Enduring Security Framework (ESF), a public-private cross-sector working group led by the NSA and CISA—presents both the benefits and risks associated with 5G network slicing. It also provides mitigation strategies that address potential threats to 5G network slicing.

Building upon the work published in the Enduring Security Framework’s Potential Threat Vectors to 5G Infrastructure, the Enduring Security Framework1 (ESF) established a working panel comprised of government and industry experts and conducted an in-depth review of network slicing, a key component of 5G infrastructure. This working panel assessed the security, risks, benefits, design, deployment, operations, and maintenance of a network slice.

For this guidance, a network slice is defined as an end-to-end logical network that provides specific network capabilities and characteristics for a user.

As with any emerging technology, with increased benefits come increased risks. This guidance intends to introduce 5G stakeholders to the benefits associated with network slicing and introduce perceived risks and management strategies that may address those risks.

The guidance builds upon ESF’s Potential Threat Vectors to 5G Infrastructure, published in 2021.