Threat Modeling

In telecom networks, Threat Modeling is the structured exercise of identifying assets (subscriber identifiers, signaling interfaces, NF service APIs), enumerating realistic attackers (interconnect peers, roaming partners, insiders, RAN-side adversaries), and mapping how each could compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. It guides architecture decisions for SEPP, signaling firewalls, slice isolation, and OAM segmentation.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkSignalingRoaming and Interconnect

Threat Modeling 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.

Signaling protocols carry the control-plane messages that set up calls, register subscribers and route SMS. SS7, Diameter, GTP-C and SIP are the four dominant families, and interconnect exposure of any of them is treated by GSMA as top-tier telecom risk.

To place Threat Modeling in the wider telecom-security picture, review Certification Authority (CA), Firewall, IBCF, Interconnect Security Model, Inter-PLMN Security and mTLS — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

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