Effective 5G cybersecurity is essential because the total data traffic across mobile networks in 2022 is predicted to reach 77 exabytes per month – 1 million terabytes of internet traffic every month.
Only 5G with its mmWave technology is able to deal with that massive traffic burden.
The main issue with 5G security is that 5G networks are built with hardware and software and use the cloud, so it has a much larger attack surface than previous wireless networking generations.
Risks also arise from the increasingly sophisticated endpoint equipment (the IoT devices and user equipment) that use these networks. Sensors and cameras for augmented reality and virtual reality applications in next-generation health care is one such example. Their use may require encryption capabilities for compliance with data privacy regulations.
Besides compliance concerns, organizations should develop methods to test and evaluate the embedded systems and firmware in these IoT devices to understand the relevant cyber risks. Most analysts believe that as organizations start to leverage innovative digital technologies and 5G’s increased bandwidth to generate more and better data, potential privacy issues and IoT security will have to be addressed.
Experts in this area recommend that organizations set up 5G cybersecurity plans based on the answers to important 5G questions, such as:
- How is the technology going to be applied?
- What is it going to touch?
- Who are the key stakeholders?
Organizations should then overlay a network security framework that identifies 5G security threats and associated security requirements and engage with 5G specialists and industry professionals to talk about appropriate cybersecurity solutions.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers 5G Cybersecurity Training Bootcamp, a 4-day course that focuses on 5G cybersecurity issues and mitigation techniques.
The scope of this training is to leverage the 5G security features which are defined in standards to provide enhanced cybersecurity capabilities addressing needs for service providers, network equipment manufacturers, software vendors and end-user devices.
Tonex offers more than three dozen additional courses in 5G Wireless such as:
5G Network Essentials (2 days)
5G Position and Location Services (2 days)
5G RF Engineering Training Bootcamp (3 days)
5G for Federal Government (2 days)
Fundamentals of 5G Network Slicing (2 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.