TCP/IP

TCP/IP is the suite of protocols that underpins the modern internet, named after its two best-known members: the Internet Protocol that routes packets between hosts, and the Transmission Control Protocol that provides reliable byte streams on top. The suite also includes UDP, ICMP, ARP, DNS, BGP, and many others, all standardised by the IETF.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkProtocols and StandardsInternet and Routing

TCP/IP in context

The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

Telecom security is written into standards from 3GPP, GSMA, ETSI, IETF and ITU-T. Understanding which body owns which specification, and how they interlock, is essential for both design and audit work.

To place TCP/IP in the wider telecom-security picture, review Handoff (Handover), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), PoE, Telecom, DetNet and Segment Routing — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.