5G, Its Impact On Cybersecurity

Security solutions must be supported by threat detection and response capabilities based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Overall, the challenges we see here today can be addressed if explicit security models are shared between companies, institutions, and the various network operators.

The implementation of 5G will ultimately transform the way people live and work. Countries and companies alike are running to roll out the fastest and largest 5G networks. Although 5G is still in its infancy, it has enormous potential in stimulating the creation of new technologies and the development of new industrial opportunities.

The Benefits Of 5G

5G networks are designed to offer faster data transmission speeds, higher reliability, extremely low latency, higher network capacity, higher availability, and better user experience. 5G will connect virtually anything with high performance and high efficiency. The biggest beneficiaries of the intrinsically ever higher data speed and the network’s reliability will be businesses and institutions. Businesses will significantly improve efficiency and provide faster access to information with better results.

Digital Transformation Thanks To 5G

After full implementation, 5G is expected to transform energy, healthcare, ICT, logistics, defense, and many more. Projects already active concern initiatives on health and telemedicine, factories, and smart cities.  Early adopters of the technology will seek to harness the full potential of  Big Data, Cloud, AI, and  IoT to drive this transformation.  5G will integrate these technologies and phase out conventional network services.

The Cyber-Security Challenges

Widespread adoption of 5G in the coming years will not be without challenges.  5G will act as a backbone for the economy and society, increasingly digitized, implying new challenges, mainly on security, for all operators involved in developing and implementing software, infrastructures, and operating environments. 5G identifies unique cybersecurity challenges, effectively connecting billions of devices, objects, and systems. For example, let’s think of devices connected to critical sectors and infrastructures such as banks, energy, health and transport, and industrial control systems that manage and process sensitive information. 

How To Defend Yourself

The need to improve security and build the resilience of 5G networks is relevant and fundamental in various areas, such as:

1. Attack areas will potentially expand, increasing exposure and presenting unique challenges for cybersecurity teams. 5G networks will be based on software increasingly under attack by cybercriminals, looking for flaws or backdoors;
2. DDoS attacks on IoT devices and endpoint applications will increase significantly with the implementation of 5G networks. Security experts predict that DDoS protection will be the most significant security challenge to evaluate for 5G users. The number of devices connected to the network will grow considerably, and the risk of attacks will increase. Organizations and businesses need to invest in their capabilities to manage vulnerabilities to prevent large-scale DDoS attacks and ensure network integrity;
3. Networking equipment and functions will become increasingly sensitive due to the nature of the 5G architecture itself, as well as its new capabilities;
4. Network availability and integrity will become national security concerns, particularly for critical installations. Governments will need to focus more and more on IT security, as 5G will become the vital backbone always and growing areas;
5. Mobile network operators’ dependence on vendors will expose them to numerous risks and attack paths exploited by malicious actors. Governments will necessarily have to be wary of technology suppliers, as they could become concrete threats to the public. The risk profile of a single supplier must be assessed and considered at the time of 5G implementation, mitigating its exposure;
6. Dependence on a single technology provider increases the risk of exposure to outages. Private companies can fail or interrupt their business for various reasons, becoming an element of vulnerability for all connected infrastructures;
7. Confidentiality and privacy threats will increase significantly when the level of interconnection between devices is active.

Leave The Comfort Zone

Based on these considerations, conventional security approaches will not be enough to talk about 5G. These challenges create a new security paradigm that requires re-evaluating existing security policies and frameworks. At a minimum, organizations will need to employ scalable and automated security solutions to protect their networks and data. 

Security solutions must be supported by threat detection and response capabilities based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Overall, We believe that the challenges we see here today can be addressed if explicit security models are shared between companies, institutions, and the various network operators.