ISLAMABAD: In a decisive move to safeguard Pakistan’s next-generation digital infrastructure, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued comprehensive 5G security guidelines, setting a high regulatory bar for telecom operators, vendors, and service providers ahead of nationwide 5G deployment expected in coming months.
As operators prepare for commercial 5G launch, compliance with these guidelines is expected to become a key regulatory benchmark—reshaping how telecom security is designed, audited, and enforced nationwide.
Prepared by the Cyber Security Directorate at the PTA Headquarters, the 2025 guidelines signal a shift in how Pakistan views mobile security—not merely as a technical requirement, but as a matter of national security, economic stability, and public safety.
Policy directive awaited: 5G spectrum auction likely in coming months: minister
Unlike earlier mobile generations, 5G will power critical national functions—from smart cities and connected transport to e-health, industrial automation, and digital governance. PTA’s new framework recognises that these capabilities dramatically expand the attack surface.
“5G security is no longer optional or peripheral,” the guidelines stress. “It is foundational to trust in national telecommunications infrastructure.”
The document aligns Pakistan’s approach with 3GPP, GSMA, ITU, ETSI, and NIST standards, while tailoring controls to local regulatory and threat realities.
Among the most significant measures:
End of IMSI exposure: Mandatory use of SUCI encryption to prevent identity tracking and IMSI-catching attacks.
Home-network-controlled authentication: Authentication authority firmly remains with the Home PLMN, reducing roaming fraud and fake network threats.
Service-Based Architecture (SBA) security: All 5G core APIs must use mutual TLS, OAuth 2.0, and strict authorisation, closing long-standing signalling attack vectors.
Roaming hardened by SEPP: Inter-operator signalling is shielded via the Security Edge Protection Proxy, blocking spoofing and message injection attacks.
Zero trust, from core to edge
The PTA adopts a Zero Trust Security Model across the 5G ecosystem—covering user devices, RAN, edge computing, core networks, and cloud-hosted applications.
Country ready for 5G leap: PTA chief
Operators are directed to:
Deploy AI-driven anomaly detection for RAN and core signalling
Enforce network slice isolation with quarantine mechanisms
Secure edge computing nodes against hypervisor escape and lateral movement
Integrate all domains with SOC and SIEM platforms for real-time threat visibility
With millions of IoT devices expected to connect over 5G, PTA flags them as a top risk category. The guidelines mandate:
Secure boot, firmware integrity checks, and certificate-based identities
Tamper-resistant hardware and TPMs for sensitive deployments
AKMA (Authentication and Key Management for Applications) to eliminate passwords and reduce attack exposure
For URLLC and industrial time-sensitive communications, redundant encrypted paths and deterministic security controls are required to ensure reliability even under attack.
Beyond cyber threats, the PTA places strong emphasis on physical security and insider risk:
Tier-3 data centres, biometric access, and 24/7 surveillance for core networks
Strict RBAC, segregation of duties, and behavioural analytics for administrators
Regular audits of third-party vendors, cloud platforms, and edge sites.
By embedding security into architecture, operations, and governance, the PTA aims to ensure that Pakistan’s 5G rollout is trusted, resilient, and internationally credible—capable of supporting critical services without exposing the country to systemic cyber risk.
