# Security and privacy for 6G: A survey on prospective technologies and challenges

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.11861 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.11861/

## Key facts

- Cited by 12 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 26 Aug 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 12 of 12)

- [Metaverse for Healthcare: A Survey on Potential Applications, Challenges and Future Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.04160/) (2022)
- [A Survey on XAI for 5G and Beyond Security: Technical Aspects, Challenges and Research Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.12822/) (2022)
- [Enabling AutoML for Zero-Touch Network Security: Use-Case Driven Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.21286/) (2025)
- [Federated Learning-based MARL for Strengthening Physical-Layer Security in B5G Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.06997/) (2025)
- [Closed-Loop View of the Regulation of AI: Equal Impact across Repeated Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.01410/) (2022)
- [Towards Zero Touch Networks: Cross-Layer Automated Security Solutions for 6G Wireless Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.20627/) (2025)
- [Advancing LLM-Based Security Automation with Customized Group Relative Policy Optimization for Zero-Touch Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.09485/) (2025)
- [Integration of TinyML and LargeML: A Survey of 6G and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.15854/) (2025)
- [Agile Orchestration at Will: An Entire Smart Service-Based Security Architecture Towards 6G](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.22963/) (2025)
- [Privacy-Preserving Offloading for Large Language Models in 6G Vehicular Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.05320/) (2025)
- [Internet of Everything in the 6G Era: Paradigms, Enablers, Potentials and Future Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.25018/) (2026)
- [Optimization-as-a-Service via Multi-Agent Large Language Model for Radio Access Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.20590/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks will have to cope with diverse threats on a space-air-ground integrated network environment, novel technologies, and an accessible user information explosion. However, for now, security and privacy issues for 6G remain largely in concept. This survey provides a systematic overview of security and privacy issues based on prospective technologies for 6G in the physical, connection, and service layers, as well as through lessons learned from the failures of existing security architectures and state-of-the-art defenses. Two key lessons learned are as follows. First, other than inheriting vulnerabilities from the previous generations, 6G has new threat vectors from new radio technologies, such as the exposed location of radio stripes in ultra-massive MIMO systems at Terahertz bands and attacks against pervasive intelligence. Second, physical layer protection, deep network slicing, quantum-safe communications, artificial intelligence (AI) security, platform-agnostic security, real-time adaptive security, and novel data protection mechanisms such as distributed ledgers and differential privacy are the top promising techniques to mitigate the attack magnitude and personal data breaches substantially.