Tactical Mapping: 3GPP Release 19 (6G Candidate Study)

🏛️ Post-Quantum & Sovereign Security

• ITU Rec: X.1031 (PQC Roadmap) + Y.3171 (IMT-2030)
• 3GPP Implementation: TR 33.870 (Study on PQC) and TS 33.501 Rel-19.
• Key Tactical Features:
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): Preliminary integration of CRYSTALS-Kyber (Lattice-based) for the SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy) exchange. This realizes the "Quantum-Safe" objective of itu-t X.1031.
  • ISAC (Integrated Sensing and Communication): Security for the 6G-candidate ISAC feature, where base stations use radio waves for radar-like sensing.
  • Sovereign 5G (NPN/SNPN): Enhanced security for Stand-alone Non-Public Networks, allowing private enterprises to own their security context entirely via decentralized identity.

🔐 Security Dimensions (X.805) — Rel-19 Future

🛰️ 6G Candidate Tech: ISAC Security

ISAC (Integrated Sensing and Communication) is a high-risk feature where the RAN also acts as a spatial sensor.

• Tactical Vulnerability: Unauthorized Spatial Surveillance. A compromised gNB could use ISAC to track physical movements of individuals (even without phones) within a building.
• Mitigation: Strict "Sensing Isolation" zones and per-beam sensing authorization.

🛠️ PQC Transition Timeline (Kyber/Dilithium)

The SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy) is the first node scheduled for PQC implementation to protect inter-operator roaming against "Harvest-Now-Decrypt-Later" attacks.

1. Hybrid Mode: RSA/ECC + Kyber (To ensure backward compatibility).
2. Pure PQC: Finalized in late-Rel-19 / early-Rel-20.

!WARNINGQuantum Threat: Any data transmitted today over the SEPP using Rel-15 headers (RSA/ECC) is vulnerable to future decryption. Rel-19's focus on PQC-N32 is the mission-critical response to avoid a total 5G data history leak.