The fifth generation (5G) data networks begin to be a reality this year 2020, with the first compatible mobiles and the first areas in Spain with coverage, but the arrival of this technology and the increase in bandwidth that it entails can also Assume greater cybersecurity risks and more powerful attacks.
The European Commission published last October an evaluation study on the potential risks arising from the implementation of 5G and warned in a statement that 5G networks imply “increased exposure to attacks and more potential entry points for attackers” , as well as greater dependence on network providers – operators and telephone companies.
On the occasion of the Safe Internet Day, which is celebrated on Tuesday, February 11 and that since 2004 seeks to raise awareness among users about the importance of security on the Internet, the Entelgy company has collected the risks to which users are exposed to Use the new 5G networks.
One of the advantages that 5G offers is that it has a larger bandwidth, which improves connection latency. This means an increase in the number of connected devices – according to Gartner, this year we will have 20,000 million devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem -, which leads to greater exposure to possible attacks.
Several of the equipment equipped with 5G have “poor security”, according to the technology consultancy Entelgy, in addition to its configuration being vulnerable by default and not ready to be managed and updated in bulk. This makes them more insecure every time new vulnerabilities appear.
Risk of increased attack power
The incorporation of 5G to other sectors of our lives such as health, energy or transport will completely change these industries, but according to Alert Entelgy also opens the door to more powerful attacks. Infrastructures that incorporate this technology will improve their interconnection and, if security measures do not advance in tandem, they will be more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
However, although attacks on these networks can be more powerful, 5G’s flexibility to evolve allows its deficiencies to be quickly corrected.
5G networks will allow to reach a level of hyperconnectivity that will drive other technologies such as ‘Big Data’, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Thanks to advances in this technology, new services such as ‘edge computing’ will be created, which allows data processing closer to the end user to improve service times.
However, all these services are in the maturation phase, so many of its risks are still unknown, as the company warns. The danger lies in the ability of cybercriminals to infect networks with ‘bots’ or hack devices.
To keep the equipment and systems as protected as possible, it is essential that the user always has the latest update of the device in addition to always changing the passwords that come by default, as they conclude from Entelgy.
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