The Kryptonite For 5G

NFV, abstraction, high surface areas – it’s easy to guess why security can be a biggest concern as 5G gathers steam. Here is how the industry can pre-empt these risks

- Pratima Harigunani

IDC projects the number of 5G connections will go up to 1 billion and 5G will represent 8.9% of all mobile transactions by 2023. Each of these devices is a potential entry point – and securing them will require a Zero Trust mind-set

5G is big. It is arriving and will attract huge investments too. But there is a concern. Despite the massive application versatility, payback, disruption, and the low-latency impact it promises – or perhaps because of that – 5G could find security as its Achilles’ heel. Is this heel big and vulnerable enough to stop 5G from running fast? And can 5G open new back-doors on security-related fears?

Weak-spots: Why and where?

The very fact that 5G is exciting and raw makes it on the hot list of attackers and adversaries. And that’s a pattern that has proven itself for everything that is new on the maturity curve because that’s not just industry readiness but also standards and collaboration are half-baked.