The Emergence of Heterogeneous Networks

Fifth generation (5G) communication provides high-speed data transfer and low latency, serving the better for multiple heterogeneous applications over previous technologies. This has led to the development of heterogeneous networks (HetNets) by integrating diverse information and communication technologies (ICTs) into a single view to provide better quality of service (QoS) for different classes of users [1]. HetNets are poised to see more widespread acceptance of a means of communication favored in 5G and beyond as we look to 6G as well. The fundamental components of a 5G HetNet scenario include the user equipment (UE) and enhanced node B (eNB). The communications between the UEs is facilitated using eNBs that act as a gateway for inward and outward data exchange. User equipment is classified under pico or macro cells in a HetNet whereas the integration of 5G supports distributed communication modes through device-to-device (D2D) features. Along with the support of eNBs, interference cancellation, carrier aggregation, massive multi-input multi-output, and coordinated transmissions are facilitated in this network to meet the QoS requirements of different applications and users [2, 3]. The interoperable nature of the heterogeneous platform provides pervasive and anonymous access to resources and UE communications. In such a pervasive access scenario, security becomes a prime concern due to the interruptions in D2D communications [4]. Unauthorized devices or adversaries focus on the exchanged data to inject malicious or falsified content, changing its freshness and reliability. Therefore, authenticationcentric solutions are designed for data security along with integrity checks to ensure transmitted data is delivered at the receiver end [5]. Globally, the data security and privacy of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a concern to all users. As more and more individuals see themselves conducting their day-to-day livelihood on mobile devices, they also see themselves sharing personal information over open channels. Robust data authentication and efficient key management are assimilated in the heterogeneous communication platform for leveraging the security level of data exchange to preserve user data security and privacy. Key management and hash-based authentication methods are designedwith less complexity to reduce the computational and communication-based overheads, alongwith lower latency to support the design goal of 5G environments. Therefore, the adaptiveness of the authentication method is required to be two-fold, namely user-centric and application-centric, as guided by the service and security provider. We have seenmany different areas fuse to offer strong authenticationmethods in 5G. These tend to include Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and more recently, blockchain technology [6]. Artificial intelligence techniques tend to