Cybersecurity experts agree: 5G will have a huge impact on cybersecurity and network security as well as public safety and more. 5G offers huge business potential, but the technology is much more complex to secure.
Security-wise, the problem with 5G is that it poses an elevated security threat partly because there are more vectors through which adversaries can attack. The technology is set to enable a huge number of connected devices, collectively known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
The massive interconnectivity of IoT devices makes for a huge target for cybercriminals because they could be taken over to form what’s known as a botnet to perform distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks to paralyze networks.
But 5G cybersecurity is even more challenging due to vertical 5G use-cases. These are parings such as connected cars and healthcare resulting in critical industry-specific security requirements.
Furthermore, 5G is centered on virtualized networks that also require robust protocols in order to be governed efficiently.
Another security risk is posed by the protocol designed to allow 4G connections when a dependable 5G signal isn’t available. When a 5G device switches to 4G, it’s exposed to the vulnerabilities that haven’t been addressed in the previous generations’ protocol.
None of this will be a surprise to industry insiders once 5G infrastructure is built out sufficiently to take advantage of all its benefits. A recent survey taken by BPI Network shows that a whopping 94% of industry experts and telecom operators expect security challenges to escalate with the advent of 5G networks.
Experts feel the best approach to providing sufficient cybersecurity for 5G architecture may be through the creation of a 5G ecosystem that includes infrastructure providers, mobile operators, vertical industries and regulators all working together.
Want to learn more about 5G cybersecurity? Tonex offers 5G Security Training Crash Courses, which includes a large selection of cutting edge classes, such as:
5G NR Training, 5G New Radio (NR) Training(2 days)
5G Training | 5G System Survey Training (2 days)
5G Security Training | 5G Wireless Security Training(4 days)
5G Crash Course (4 days)
Next Generation Networks Crash Course(4 days)
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