Cybersecurity and Critical Connectivity Lab for 5G/6G Networks

The 5G/6G Cybersecurity Lab at the Universidade de Vigo proposes a realistic, autonomously operated telecommunications testbed to confront the rising challenges of security, privacy, and trust in next‐generation networks and their expanding attack surface across critical verticals such as smart transportation and connected industry. Built atop the UNICO 5G/6G deployment, the facility will offer experimentation, demonstration, and a governed data space for technology centers, public administrations, and companies, thereby enabling rigorous, end‐to‐end evaluation of protections and interoperability under real conditions. Its distinctive innovation lies in unifying Open RAN, mobile edge computing (MEC), vehicular communications (C‐V2X), and industrial OT within a single environment and complementing them with quantum‐safe mechanisms—including post‐quantum cryptography and seamless integration points for quantum key distribution (QKD)—so as to accelerate security‐by‐design practices and certification readiness. In addition, the lab aligns with international initiatives and will provide services for trust, privacy, and security, including conformance guidance and, where applicable, routes toward sectoral validation with bodies such as 5GAA; with this approach, the adoption of robust, quantum‐resilient protections is extended to a broad spectrum of networked applications. 

This project’s technical approach combines a cloud-native Open RAN stack, powered by SDR platforms and a portable base station, with a multi-layered cybersecurity architecture that spans the radio access, transport, core, and application planes. The platform includes advanced tools for deep protocol analysis, attack simulation, and edge security, integrating QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) and post- quantum encryption. It enables V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) capabilities with dedicated modems and a scenario generator aligned with 3GPP Release 15, and extends coherently to industrial OT (Operational Technology) to validate secure, low-latency control and anomaly detection. The execution plan features pilot programs—including an AI/ML-driven network slicing pilot, a Smart Transportation testbed for C-V2X, and a Connected Industry pilot—to accelerate adoption. This 21-month program, running from September 2024 to June 2026, will be open to researchers and partners, with a sustainability model aiming for cost recovery from 2026 onward.