5G Could Be A Cyber Security Revolution

2020 has been a year like no other and 2021 will continue the revolution. The impact of Coronavirus has accelerated the process of digital transformation and the rapid transition to remote work may well prove permanent. At the same time, a range  new threats for security professionals to grapple with are emerging as they work out how to protect a rapidly changing business environment. 

Today, the coming of widespread 5G technology promises more than just faster everything, enhanced capacity and potentially greater reliability. The deployment of 5G will ultimately transform how people live and work. Both countries and companies are in the race to deploy the fastest and largest 5G networks. 

Although 5G is still in its early days, it has massive potential in spurring the creation of transformative new technologies and the development of new industries:-  

  • 5G networks are designed to deliver high data speeds, increased reliability, ultra-low latency, enormous network capacity, increased availability, and improved user experience. 
  • 5G will connect virtually anything and everything with high performance and high efficiency. 
  • The deployment of 5G offers new possibilities for the business world as it enhances security measures in the battle with cyber-criminals. 

Cyber security is an essential part of business today and it is important that organisations invest heavily in technology to protect themselves and their clients from a growing legion of sophisticated cyber-criminals. This is especially problematic as the world continues to battle a global pandemic that has forced organisations to disperse their employee populations to remote working environments, leaving themselves even more vulnerable to attack. Not surprisingly, cyber-attacks have increased exponentially. 

Digital transformation is a key driver and enabler of the cyber security evolution; and for businesses to stay competitive and scale up to their full potential, they must invest heavily in 5G technologies to create new opportunities for advances in cyber security 

It is essential that organisations make a substantial investment in new technologies and IT practices for a robust cyber security framework. In addition, they need to have cyber security solutions that can scale appropriately as they continue to grow and adapt to the changing work environment. 

Organisations implementing new security measures using 5G architecture are in the best position to protect themselves from being targeted. 

The use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT), all enabled by the strong backbone network provided by 5G, will help IT teams prevent new cyber security threats to operate entire business networks more securely. 5G will also leverage network virtualisation (NV), which consolidates hardware and software network resources into a single virtual network, to help manage problems remotely and optimise network services. 
Organisations will need to take advantage of NV to make their networks nimbler and more responsive, and NV will give them the ability to provide real-time services to their clients. 

The high speed offered by 5G will also enable implementation of cyber technologies such as deep packet inspection (DPI), a type of data processing that examines in detail all data being sent over a computer network. 

For example, telecom service providers could use DPI to check and handle malicious traffic inserted by cyber-criminals who connect via OTT (over-the-top) channels, providing content over the Internet, to spread malware.  While 5G is transformative with its high speeds and connection capabilities, there are different ways in which 5G can also open doors to new vulnerabilities. 5G will lead to the explosion in IoT and IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) where cyber security will be of paramount importance.

Another example is with the new medical technologies powered by 5G, doctors could put a patch with a cardiac sensor on a patient’s chest, from which they will be able to live stream the ECG (electrocardiogram) data to a cloud server for analysis and interpretation. This is critical data that, if compromised by hackers, can be manipulated, which could lead to an incorrect analysis, diagnosis, and prescribed medication. 

5G technology is two pronged in that it can serve to protect organisations from cyber-criminals looking to exploit network vulnerabilities, but at the same time, it can also create vulnerabilities for businesses as well. With this extremely complicated problem in mind, organisations must redefine their cyber strategy planning to ensure that they can use 5G for the greatest good and continually upgrade the nature of their networks to protect themselves from future attacks. 

Consequently, cyber protection must be dynamic rather than reliant on a uniform lowest common denominator solution. The challenges of securing organisations from cyber-attacks have risen dramatically amid the pandemic as ‘working from anywhere’ has been accepted as part of the ‘new normal’ in our modern corporate culture. 

Unfortunately, with such a large population of the workforce spending time online from home and elsewhere using multiple devices that are susceptible to attacks, cyber-criminals are easily finding ways to out-manoeuvre their victims. Through social engineering scams such as phishing email attacks, hackers are even using devices such as a mobile phone as a weapon against its owner. That is why it is imperative that organisations proactively educate their employees against cyber-attacks. 

At the same time, organisations must also educate their customers and make them aware of social engineering schemes that can manipulate them into divulging confidential data using their own devices. 

As with any complex network, 5G networks tend to have vulnerabilities. As they require regular updates, operators frequently grant network access to third parties. Original network components, as well as software updates, are the product of complex, international supply chains that are difficult to trace, largely because the apparent national origin of a product is not a reliable guide to where its components were designed or manufactured.  

While the rapid shift to a remote workforce has created new opportunities for cyber criminals, organisations having foresight are proactively shoring up their investments in 5G technology solutions to combat cyber crime and prove that they can operate successfully in a virtual capacity. 

For organisations trying to stay one step ahead of cyber-attacks on their networks, the need to detect and prevent cyber crime before it has happened is no longer optional but mandatory.   

RUSI:    Ericsson:      Broadband4Europe:       Tripwire:         Infosecurity Magazine:     CSO Online:     Image: Unsplash

You Might Also Read:

What Is The Fuss About 5G?:

 

« Maritime Cyber Security Needs Shipping Companies to Focus
Become a Robot & Live Forever »

ManageEngine
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Check Point

Directory of Suppliers

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

Tines

Tines

The Tines security automation platform helps security teams automate manual tasks, making them more effective and efficient.

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

CIO

CIO

CIO provides technology and business leaders with insight and analysis on information technology trends

Puppet

Puppet

Puppet is a leader in IT automation. Our software helps DevOps securely automate configuration and management of machines and the software running on them.

Kore Telematics

Kore Telematics

Kore is a leading managed service provider for IoT and M2M applications.

Zuratrust

Zuratrust

Zuratrust provide protection for all kinds of email related cyber attacks.

Cytomic

Cytomic

Cytomic is the business unit of Panda Security specialized in providing advanced cybersecurity solutions and services to large enterprises.

Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ)

Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ)

The mission of CISQ is to develop international standards for software quality and to promote the development and sustainment of secure, reliable, and trustworthy software.

Red Snapper Recruitment

Red Snapper Recruitment

Red Snapper Recruitment is a market leading staffing services provider to the law enforcement, cyber security, offender supervision and regulatory services markets.

Dale Peterson

Dale Peterson

Dale Peterson, a leading ICS security and control system IT information expert, provides consulting services to assess and improve the security of SCADA and DCS.

Blockchain R&D Hub

Blockchain R&D Hub

Blockchain R&D Hub's mission is to serve the needs of blockchain ecosystem as the center of excellence for technology research and development.

Netacea

Netacea

Netacea provides a revolutionary bot management solution that protects websites, mobile apps and APIs from malicious attacks such as scraping, credential stuffing and account takeover.

Polestar Industrial IT

Polestar Industrial IT

Polestar work on both sides of the IT & OT divide. Network, Data & Asset Security is our priority. Polestar installations are robust and resilient and comply with the appropriate security.

Fibernet

Fibernet

Fibernet's innovative solutions in the fields of cybersecurity and fiber optics range from telecommunications infrastructure to small business cybersecurity.

Tidelift

Tidelift

Tidelift provides the tools, data, and strategies that help organizations assess risk and improve the health, security, and resilience of the open source used in their applications.

ISO WISH

ISO WISH

Take your Business to the Next Level with ISO Certification in UAE.

Digital Technologies Group (DTG)

Digital Technologies Group (DTG)

DTG are a digital transformation company helping process organisations embrace smarter manufacturing through the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies and solutions.

SiyanoAV

SiyanoAV

SiyanoAV's range of antivirus products delivers strong protection against various cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing schemes, and beyond.