O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions
<p dir="ltr">The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) represents a groundbreaking evolution in next-generation (NGN) communication systems, offering an open, flexible, and vendor-agnostic approach that disaggregates traditional network functions. Central to this ecosystem is the O-Cloud...
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| مؤلفون آخرون: | , , , , |
| منشور في: |
2025
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إضافة وسم
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| _version_ | 1864513525460762624 |
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| author | Muhammad J. Shehab (16905174) |
| author2 | Youssef Aly (22929010) Ahmed Badawy (6992093) Amr Mohamed (3508121) Mahmoud Barhamgi (12618205) Saeed Salem (22282705) |
| author2_role | author author author author author |
| author_facet | Muhammad J. Shehab (16905174) Youssef Aly (22929010) Ahmed Badawy (6992093) Amr Mohamed (3508121) Mahmoud Barhamgi (12618205) Saeed Salem (22282705) |
| author_role | author |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Muhammad J. Shehab (16905174) Youssef Aly (22929010) Ahmed Badawy (6992093) Amr Mohamed (3508121) Mahmoud Barhamgi (12618205) Saeed Salem (22282705) |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv | 2025-09-09T06:00:00Z |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | 10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528 |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv | https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/O-Cloud_Security_A_Comprehensive_Survey_of_Threats_Mitigation_Strategies_and_Future_Directions/30971767 |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Engineering Communications engineering Information and computing sciences Cybersecurity and privacy Machine learning O-RAN O-Cloud cybersecurity next-generation networks machine learning secure generative AI LLMs digital twin blockchain zero-trust architecture proof of retrievability secure caching Surveys Prevention and mitigation Computer architecture Reviews Cloud computing Telecommunications 5G mobile communication Technological innovation |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | Text Journal contribution info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion text contribution to journal |
| description | <p dir="ltr">The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) represents a groundbreaking evolution in next-generation (NGN) communication systems, offering an open, flexible, and vendor-agnostic approach that disaggregates traditional network functions. Central to this ecosystem is the O-Cloud, which serves as the foundation for hosting and managing virtualized and containerized network functions in a cloud-native environment. However, while the O-Cloud offers significant advantages in scalability and efficiency, it also introduces unique security challenges, integrating a whole paradigm of telecom and cloud computing. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of security measures tailored to the unique needs of O-Cloud environments. Further, we thoroughly detail the existing threats, highlight the vulnerabilities, and discuss the emerging security mitigation techniques. We analyze both foundational and emerging security solutions, detailing current threats and vulnerabilities while presenting innovative mitigation techniques. In particular, we will inspect the impact of advanced technologies such as zero-trust architecture (ZTA), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), proof of retrievability (PoR), machine learning (ML), secure generative AI, secure caching, blockchain, digital twin (DT), and Quantum security technologies in strengthening the O-Cloud security. Through this analysis, we aim to provide an in-depth survey aimed at strengthening O-Cloud-based telecom networks against cybersecurity threats and ensuring data and services’ integrity. Our insights and forward-looking recommendations for O-Cloud security are presented to develop a resilient and secure O-Cloud environment, offering directional guidance to practitioners and researchers and a strategic roadmap for the stakeholders to build a secure and sustainable O-Cloud environment.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528</a></p> |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| id | Manara2_4eb627925c72b323f11d59088d7ade62 |
| identifier_str_mv | 10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528 |
| network_acronym_str | Manara2 |
| network_name_str | Manara2 |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:figshare.com:article/30971767 |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| repository.mail.fl_str_mv | |
| repository.name.fl_str_mv | |
| repository_id_str | |
| rights_invalid_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 |
| spelling | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future DirectionsMuhammad J. Shehab (16905174)Youssef Aly (22929010)Ahmed Badawy (6992093)Amr Mohamed (3508121)Mahmoud Barhamgi (12618205)Saeed Salem (22282705)EngineeringCommunications engineeringInformation and computing sciencesCybersecurity and privacyMachine learningO-RANO-Cloudcybersecuritynext-generation networksmachine learningsecure generative AILLMsdigital twinblockchainzero-trust architectureproof of retrievabilitysecure cachingSurveysPrevention and mitigationComputer architectureReviewsCloud computingTelecommunications5G mobile communicationTechnological innovation<p dir="ltr">The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) represents a groundbreaking evolution in next-generation (NGN) communication systems, offering an open, flexible, and vendor-agnostic approach that disaggregates traditional network functions. Central to this ecosystem is the O-Cloud, which serves as the foundation for hosting and managing virtualized and containerized network functions in a cloud-native environment. However, while the O-Cloud offers significant advantages in scalability and efficiency, it also introduces unique security challenges, integrating a whole paradigm of telecom and cloud computing. This survey provides a comprehensive analysis of security measures tailored to the unique needs of O-Cloud environments. Further, we thoroughly detail the existing threats, highlight the vulnerabilities, and discuss the emerging security mitigation techniques. We analyze both foundational and emerging security solutions, detailing current threats and vulnerabilities while presenting innovative mitigation techniques. In particular, we will inspect the impact of advanced technologies such as zero-trust architecture (ZTA), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), proof of retrievability (PoR), machine learning (ML), secure generative AI, secure caching, blockchain, digital twin (DT), and Quantum security technologies in strengthening the O-Cloud security. Through this analysis, we aim to provide an in-depth survey aimed at strengthening O-Cloud-based telecom networks against cybersecurity threats and ensuring data and services’ integrity. Our insights and forward-looking recommendations for O-Cloud security are presented to develop a resilient and secure O-Cloud environment, offering directional guidance to practitioners and researchers and a strategic roadmap for the stakeholders to build a secure and sustainable O-Cloud environment.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528</a></p>2025-09-09T06:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1109/ojcoms.2025.3600528https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/O-Cloud_Security_A_Comprehensive_Survey_of_Threats_Mitigation_Strategies_and_Future_Directions/30971767CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/309717672025-09-09T06:00:00Z |
| spellingShingle | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions Muhammad J. Shehab (16905174) Engineering Communications engineering Information and computing sciences Cybersecurity and privacy Machine learning O-RAN O-Cloud cybersecurity next-generation networks machine learning secure generative AI LLMs digital twin blockchain zero-trust architecture proof of retrievability secure caching Surveys Prevention and mitigation Computer architecture Reviews Cloud computing Telecommunications 5G mobile communication Technological innovation |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| title_full | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| title_fullStr | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| title_short | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| title_sort | O-Cloud Security: A Comprehensive Survey of Threats, Mitigation Strategies, and Future Directions |
| topic | Engineering Communications engineering Information and computing sciences Cybersecurity and privacy Machine learning O-RAN O-Cloud cybersecurity next-generation networks machine learning secure generative AI LLMs digital twin blockchain zero-trust architecture proof of retrievability secure caching Surveys Prevention and mitigation Computer architecture Reviews Cloud computing Telecommunications 5G mobile communication Technological innovation |