Authentication Handover and Privacy Protection in 5G HetNets Using Software-Defined Networking

Recently, densified small cell deployment with overlay coverage through coexisting heterogeneous networks has emerged as a viable solution for 5G mobile networks. However, this multi-tier architecture along with stringent latency requirements in 5G brings new challenges in security provisioning due to the potential frequent handovers and authentications in 5G small cells and HetNets. In this article, we review related studies and introduce SDN into 5G as a platform to enable efficient authentication hand over and privacy protection. Our objective is to simplify authentication handover by global management of 5G HetNets through sharing of user-dependent security context information among related access points. We demonstrate that SDN-enabled security solutions are highly efficient through its centralized control capability, which is essential for delay-constrained 5G communications.