Fujitsu, Trend Micro team to secure private 5G

Private 5G networks are a hot tip for 2021, expected to see particular momentum in industrial use cases as organisations seek to improve operations significantly through high capacity, low latency and fast communications networks – and this opportunity has led to Fujitsu and Trend Micro collaborating to focus on the security of the data transmitted.

The companies believe that private 5G network technology will be the catalyst for true smart factories globally, with connectivity and automation linking factory devices and business applications, improving production capabilities and overall factory performance.

However, they warn that the expanded IT infrastructure within operational technology (OT) environments could lead to exposed risk for cyber attacks, meaning there is an urgent need to implement cyber security measures to secure private 5G networks against potential attacks.

In their project, Fujitsu and Trend Micro say they will demonstrate the effectiveness of Trend Micro’s security for private 5G using a simulated smart factory environment and an operational Fujitsu environment prior to the product’s public availability.

In practice, they have incorporated Trend Micro’s 5G security solution into a private 5G system that simulates an actual smart factory environment equipped with high-definition monitoring cameras and automatic guided vehicles (AGV) at the Fujitsu Collaboration Lab in Kawasaki, Japan. This environment was used to visualise and centrally manage the status and security of systems, as well as correlate threat detection and prevention data from the devices and network.

The Trend Micro mobile network security solution uses embedded endpoint security within the IoT device’s SIM card and network security running on private 5G system. This is said to enable firms to detect and protect against threats at the private 5G network, authenticate devices trying to connect to a 5G network, and block unauthorised communication in real time.

The firms are confident that their demonstration shows how the Trend Micro product protects smart factories from internal threats, such as unauthorised or malware-infected devices, as well as external threats attempting to enter the factory through the 5G network.

“Fujitsu aims to realise a society in which people, goods, and services are connected in real time through 5G technology and to solve problems facing the world,” said Tomonori Goto, corporate executive officer, senior vice-president and head of 5G vertical service office at Fujitsu.

“To this end, we believe that this security solution, created together with Trend Micro, represents a key technology for applying private 5G to mission-critical areas. Fujitsu will continue to cooperate with Trend Micro to create new value through the power of co-creation.”

“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Fujitsu to tackle the immense challenge of cyber security for private 5G,” said Akihiko Omikawa, executive vice-president for Trend Micro. “Together, we are making smart manufacturing more secure to ensure production isn’t stopped due to a cyber attack.”

Fujitsu and Trend Micro will conduct a field trial until September 2021 at Fujitsu's Oyama Plant. Based on the results of this trial, the partners will consider commercialising a security system for private 5G.