Toward vulnerability assessment for 5G mobile communication networks

For 5G, Software-Defined Networking have emerged as a future mobile network architecture. It is so called Software-Defined Networking based Mobile Networks (SDN-MN). Because of the dynamic and virtual features of SDN-MN, most traditional network vulnerability assessment methodologies cannot be applied in SDN-MN directly. As a result, a new methodology of vulnerability assessment for SDN-MN is needed. In this paper, an effective vulnerability assessment mechanism is proposed for SDN-MN using attack graph algorithm and analytic hierarchy process (AHP). An optimized attack graph is given to alleviate scalability problem. In order to quantify security level, we define node minimal effort to quantify attack cost and then derive system security level. Aiming to calculate node minimal effort of attack graph in SDN-MN dynamic environment, AHP and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are integrated into the methodology with regard to dynamic vulnerability factors in SDN-MN. Finally, we offer a case study to validate the methodology. The case study and evaluation show the advantages of the proposed vulnerability assessment mechanism.