COONTEC MEDIA COVERAGE

COONTEC and ETRI Develop Core Security Technology for Open RAN Monitoring

COONTEC, a DX security specialist, and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 24th that they have jointly succeeded in developing Korea’s first core security module for Open RAN monitoring technology.

The achievement was produced through the ‘Core Technology for Intelligent Open RAN Security Platform’ project, led by ETRI and supported by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP). The technology is expected to play a key role in ensuring stable operation and security for next-generation networks, including private 5G networks (e-Um 5G) and future 6G environments.

Open RAN is a next-generation radio access network technology that moves away from the closed architecture of conventional telecom equipment and allows equipment and software from multiple vendors to be flexibly combined through standardized interfaces. While this openness can improve innovation and efficiency, it also makes integrated monitoring essential for tracking base-station status and managing increasingly complex network structures.

Based on the project, COONTEC and ETRI established a technical foundation for efficiently integrating and managing the complex architecture and diverse data sources of cloud-based Open RAN environments. Building on this foundation, the two organizations developed core functional modules for a monitoring platform that efficiently collects, analyzes, and visualizes multilayer data generated in the environment, enabling operators to identify network conditions and security threats at a glance.

COONTEC and ETRI plan to focus on integrating and advancing the developed core modules into a practical commercial product. The technology was successfully demonstrated at the first Zero Trust Workshop, where analysis, monitoring, and response capabilities for wireless channel attacks drew industry attention. COONTEC also stated that domestic and international patent applications covering the core architecture of the technology are currently pending, further strengthening its technological advantage.

The two organizations expect the monitoring technology to become an essential solution for building and operating O-RAN-based private 5G networks and to contribute to the stabilization of critical infrastructure in future 6G environments.

A COONTEC representative said, “We have successfully developed the core functional modules to date. Going forward, we will integrate and advance these modules to deliver a final product as soon as possible that can reliably operate complex Open RAN environments and effectively respond to security threats.”