The 5G Frontier Is Calling

A Quick Rundown of 5G Security Risks Before 2020 Is Over

BLAZING TRAILS

The widespread implementation of 5G is imminent.  Everything from cell phone networks to large scale financial companies to integral industries are getting ready to hop on the 5G wagon train faster than a stranded banker whose whole clan just died from dysentery on the Oregon Trail.  

But as you kick the tires on this 5th generation of cellular networks trying to decide if you should upgrade, here are a few security considerations to be weighed: 

SOFTWARE RUNS THE SHOW

Unlike previous networks, which provided hardware bottlenecks or chokepoints where cyber maintenance could be performed, 5G networks use a system of digital routers to manage this task.  Thus, with the spoke-and-hub systems gone, there are no more choke points where this sifting could happen.  

Moreover, software vulnerabilities within the network are high.  But assuming they could even be completely monitored, the issue is that the 5G network running the software, is ALSO run on software.  If someone were to gain access to the software running the network, they also gain access to the software WITHIN the network.  

In short, the ability to create, choose, and monitor software will be paramount on 5G networks. 

MORE ROOM IN THE SEA

Another consideration is the increased bandwidth which allows 5G to function.  This expanded bandwidth creates much more surface area upon which cybersecurity attacks and intrusion are possible.  Moreover, the bandwidth will be divided up into subsections or “slices”, each presenting its own risk elements depending on the data and devices on it.  

Lastly, we have to remember that there will be tens of billions of devices connected to the network, most of them essentially small computers” which all carry the capacity to attack some part of the network.  This presents not only a software challenge, but also a challenge to monitoring, patching, protocols, maintenance, and so on.  

Again, the expertise needed to handle this kind of intricacy requires not simply understanding, but adaptability.  

THIS WAY FORWARD

As you consider all the benefits and risks associated with 5G networks, you can breathe a little easier knowing that we at SAGE have done the hard work of thinking through an enormous amount of these risks and information.  

Questions about how to move your business, company, or industry forward in a 5G world?  We’d love to talk with you.