Why Is the Cybersecurity Industry Being Disrupted By 5G Networks

Introduction

The wireless world is about to undergo a big transformation. From Boston and Seattle to Dallas and Kansas City, 5G mobile towers are springing up. This fifth-generation wireless network boasts increased speed and reliability. Current 4G networks are straining to fulfill bandwidth demand due to the exponential proliferation of smart devices and the internet of things. 5G promises to bring enhanced capacity and energy efficiency at a tenth of the cost.

Adoption of any new technology, however, is always laden with difficulties. The move to 5G is not going to happen overnight. As physical infrastructure is upgraded, 5G will initially run alongside 4G networks. Devices and network technology will require hardware upgrades to adapt to the new system. 5G will eventually be delivered as an all-software network that can be maintained similarly to any other digital system.

This article will explain why 5G networks are disrupting the Cybersecurity industry.

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What is 5G?

The fifth-generation (5G) mobile network has revolutionized the way people and devices interact by delivering faster data rates, lower latency, more dependability, increased network capacity, improved availability, and improved user experiences. However, like with any new technology, 5G implementation poses significant security threats, particularly network security. Organizations may efficiently optimize their investments and secure their data by recognizing the cybersecurity concerns connected with the 5G rollout.

5G is intended to improve our lives by providing faster download speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity and connectivity for billions of devices, particularly in the fields of Virtual Reality (VR), Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Let’s look at three major cyber security threats that 5G networks encounter and what can be done to mitigate them.

• IoT Security Standards are Non-Existing

Many IoT devices are built with rudimentary or non-existent cybersecurity protections. Hackers are already using these devices to get access to corporate networks. With such insecure IoT devices, man-in-the-middle attacks could be easy to carry out in the future. Over 5G, a cybercriminal might intercept and alter sensitive data.

Risk Mitigation: Manufacturer Incentives and Consumer Education For IoT

We should have a new regulatory organization to regulate IoT devices. However, it is critical to prepare for the possibility that IoT manufacturers still fail to comply with new legal frameworks. This is especially true for low-cost IoT brands, which may not be able to afford the increased production costs associated with these modifications. To successfully manage the IoT sector, incentives such as market monopolies or logistics support for conforming brands will be required.

Despite regulation, there may still be a broad range in security quality. Customers must be educated on how to choose and operate IoT devices responsibly. Labeling rules, for example, may be required to disclose which devices are secure and which are not.

• Network Partitioning Is Complicated Due to Dynamic Spectrum Sharing

To protect against cyber threats, current 4G systems include network partitioning techniques. To avoid a single point of failure, networks are split by hardware. If one of the network’s nodes is attacked, it can be “quarantined” to keep the attack from spreading to the rest of the network. Within the geographic coverage region, 5G, on the other hand, uses short-range, low-cost, and small-cell physical antennas. Each antenna can function as a single control point. By overwhelming a single node, botnet and Denial-of-Service assaults can knock down entire network sections.

In addition, 5G employs dynamic spectrum sharing, which divides data packets into “slices.” Each slice is sent over the same bandwidth from multiple, parallel conversations. As a result, each slice contributes to the overall cyber risk level.

Risk Mitigation: Network Management Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

A dynamic and quick-learning management system is required because of the dynamic nature of 5G’s network design. Effective countermeasures necessitate software-based and intelligent computer technologies. Cyber solutions powered by AI will continue to learn and update themselves, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can be valuable tools for 5G cybersecurity.

• Exponential Increase in Attack Surface

The attack surface is the total access points a hacker can exploit on a network. The existing hardware-based, centralized hub-and-spoke designs of 4G have much fewer traffic routing points than 5 G’s dynamic software-based systems.

Risk Mitigation:  Early Investment and Planning

5G technologies necessitate a thorough network security overhaul, which will be impossible without significant finance and senior support. Both governments and 5G firms share responsibility for this.

Challenges in Cybersecurity Associated with 5G Implementation

Malicious actors now have a new way to enter organizations’ systems, networks, and applications due to 5G implementations. 5G installations, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), pose significant security concerns that businesses should be aware of.

1. Having an Impact on Design and Architecture

Organizations and municipalities are adding more Information and Communications Technology (ICT) components to their infrastructure as they build their local 5G networks. Many of these components may lack enterprise-level security and have vulnerabilities that can be exploited easily. More ingenious threat actors may even try to sell compromised 5G components with built-in vulnerabilities in the hopes of luring naïve businesses with low-cost 5G local network deployment alternatives.

2. Supply Chain Zero-day Attack

Threat actors may try to infiltrate 5G networks through the supply chain if they cannot place vulnerabilities in ICT components. For example, if a trusted 5G ICT component maker uses ineffective DevOps methods, vulnerabilities will likely go unnoticed before commercial release. These zero-day vulnerabilities have the potential to cause significant damage.

3.  Legacy Technologies

Legacy technology, such as 4G LTE networks, is used to build 5G wireless networks. As a result, legacy hardware and software tools expose 5G networks to the same known vulnerabilities. Yet, it is unclear how the integration of 5G into the 4G technological stack would affect the security posture of new deployments.

4.  Increased Attach Surface

Because 5G networks require more components, the number of access points and network edges increases, resulting in a larger attack surface. Cellular towers, beamforming, tiny cells, and mobile devices will all likely be included in the infrastructure. Due to the lack of physical security protections on many of these devices, these variables will increase the digital attack surface and expose the company to new threats.

Best Practices for Adopting 5G Networks in Cybersecurity

Here are some things you can take to protect data misuse and system tracking from your devices if you want to move to 5G networks.

1. When connecting any device to the internet, use a VPN. This can be accomplished by installing VPN routers in your house or office.
2. Create strong passwords for all of your devices. Any IoT devices you have at home should have their default passwords changed.
3. Keep your computer, phone, and other devices up to date regularly. Antivirus software should be installed and used on all critical devices.

Conclusion

Hackers can access location monitoring and cellular reception for logged-in users through many uncontrolled network entry points. This new architecture renders current cybersecurity methods obsolete, leaving the network vulnerable to deadly attacks.