Launch of Local 5G Environment with Enhanced Security Functions

ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Tatsushi Shingu, President and CEO; hereinafter “CTC”) today started providing a local 5G environment with enhanced security functions for risks posed by IoT devices. We will offer the environment to telecommunications carriers that provide local 5G services and to manufacturers and construction companies that are considering deployment of local 5G, targeting 2 billion yen in sales from 30 companies within three years.

Local 5G network is a 5G communications infrastructure owned by corporations and local governments that stably ensures its functions of high speed, ultra-low latency, and multiple connections. However, such network could be exposed to security risks including virus intrusion and virus spread from IoT devices on the network, such as smartphones, in addition to vulnerability attacks on the base station itself. Furthermore, an increase in the number of IoT devices with a wide range of operating systems and hardware poses challenges of the higher complexity of operational management, such as ensuring thorough security policies and updating firmware, to network owners.

Our local 5G environment with enhanced security functions is an environment comprising commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) servers and a security product for local 5G.
The security product used is Trend Micro Mobile Network Security (TMMNS), a security product for local 5G provided by CTOne Inc. (CEO: Jason Huang), a subsidiary of Trend Micro Incorporated in Taiwan. The product is a complete solution that combines a security SIM card with built-in endpoint security functions and network security capabilities. When unauthorized communications are detected, the solution enables blocking suspected IoT devices from the network by visualizing local 5G environments in real time.
Using TMMNS in a combination with COTS servers for local 5G base stations, and “CYRUS”, software from ASOCS Ltd. (CEO: Gilad Garon), allows deployment of secure local 5G at a low cost.

CTC participated in the “Development Demonstrations for Realizing Local 5G to Solve Local Issues” led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2022, and conducted verifications on reduction of administrative man-hours and prevention of spread of security risks. In the verifications, we confirmed the necessity of monitoring and visualizing the information and status specific to each IoT device, and detecting and blocking unauthorized IoT devices, and verified the effectiveness of TMMNS as a security measure against anticipated risks.

CTC will continue to expand services that lead to higher-quality local 5G, and contribute to the expansion of local 5G use by supporting procedures and tasks for deployment and providing services including operation, maintenance and remote monitoring services.