Open Radio Access Network Security Document Published by NSA, CISA

The National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have published an assessment of security considerations on the Open Radio Access Network, an ecosystem of interoperable hardware and software as well as network optimization enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Both agencies are members of the Enduring Security Framework, a cross-sector working group composed of public and private sector organizations. In line with their duties to provide cybersecurity specification and mitigation guidance, NSA and CISA centered their evaluations on O-RAN facets such as multivendor management and the open fronthaul standard for radio and base station connections. The panel also looked into more general considerations, including virtualization and a cloud-based 5G network, NSA said Thursday.

As part of an ongoing 5G adoption drive throughout the U.S. military, it was reported in January that the Department of Defense plans to award development contracts to industry entities that provide O-RAN solutions.

In June, DOD and the National Spectrum Consortium announced that they were soliciting white papers on barriers to the commercialization of O-RAN. The department explained that an open ecosystem for RAN vendors would promote innovation in 5G and next-generation wireless technologies.

One possible future communications avenue for DOD is 6G, for which it is supporting a joint effort by industry and academia called Open6G. The department said in a press release that research will focus on O-RAN.