Cybersecurity Architecture For Autonomous Telecommunication Networks

The development of telecommunication networks for highly autonomous operation in the 5G- Advanced and emerging 6G environment has brought fundamental cybersecurity challenges that cannot be sufficiently addressed by legacy perimeter-based security models. Autonomous networks are based on zero-touch provisioning, closed-loop control, intent-based management and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted decision making; all of these factors vastly increase the attack surface and reduce the feasibility of human-in-the-loop security controls. In this context, cybersecurity requires being ingrained as a core architectural property and not as an external function or a reactionary function. This paper proposes a reference architecture for cybersecurity for autonomous telecommunication networks that will support high levels of autonomy, combining the principles of zero trust, artificial intelligence (AI)-native security intelligence, intent-aware policy enforcement, closed-loop security automation, and end-to-end observability and verification. The study uses a Design Science Research methodology and validates the proposed architecture using analytical reasoning, threat-control mapping, comparative analysis and standards alignment. The results show that the architecture offers complete threat coverage, enables autonomy Levels 4-5, and is in line with the up-and-coming telecom and cybersecurity frameworks. This work adds an organized architectural foundation for the security of next generation of autonomous telecommunication networks.