5G networks are the critical backbone of modern infrastructure, enabling high-speed connectivity and massive IoT deployments. However, their virtualized, service-based core exposes them to severe cyber threats. As outlined by specialized attacker frameworks like MITRE FiGHT (5G Hierarchy of Threats), adversaries increasingly target 5G network functions to compromise data and disrupt essential telecommunications.

Mitigating these threats requires adopting a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), where no internal or external entity is implicitly trusted. A foundational pillar of ZTA in the 5G core is continuous, granular monitoring. Gathering robust behavioral telemetry at both the host and network levels enables defenders to detect early indicators of compromise or misbehavior, ensuring the resilience of the entire 5G ecosystem.

The task of the student is to design a monitoring solution for 5G core network functions to enable early signs of misbehavior. The monitoring solution should be able to gather meaningful data about the behavior of the core network functions both remotely and on the host.

Tasks to be performed by the student will include:

- Present the high-level architecture of 5G networks, including the most important network functions and the communication models of the 5G core
- Discuss the threats 5G core network functions face based on well-established attacker frameworks, and how the Zero Trust Architecture paradigm can help in mitigating them
- Design and implement a monitoring solution for 5G core network functions to enable misbehavior detection
- Evaluate the monitoring solution on a simulated 5G core network