Posted on December 5, 2019 at 6:22 PM
5G Vulnerability: Researchers say the New Network could be Hunting Ground for Hackers
As the 5G network enters the mainstream, there is already a warning that the new network can possess a vulnerability that hackers would exploit. Wireless carriers, on the other hand, are handing off data and calls to Wi-Fi networks to cut down on bandwidth usage.
According to WatchGuard Technologies researchers, working remotely could reduce burnout and increase employee productivity. However, it pointed out that the mobile staffs usually work with a high rate of network insecurity as data has to be transferred outside the perimeter.
The researchers also said that the attackers could see loopholes to access both data and voice on phones carrying the 5G network. WatchGuard also predicted that by 2010, a quarter of most attacks would occur outside the perimeter.
Every institution could be a victim
As 5G rolls out across airports, shopping centers, hotels, and other public places, the networks could be exposed to more attacks because of its vulnerability. Users’ data and voice information on their cell phones are communicated to Wi-Fi access points and cell towers.
Although the design of mobile devices helps them silently and automatically switch between Wi-Fi and cellular, there are vulnerabilities in the handover process. This vulnerability will be easily exposed if the data or voice information travels over a 5G network, according to CTO WatchGuard, Corey Nachreiner.
He reiterated that the security of the 5G network is not very solid, as hackers could exploit some loopholes in 2020.
He further advises IT and security teams to ensure that they implement off-network protection. Any device or laptop the employee is taking out of the office should have a complete suite of the company’s security framework. These include multi-factor authentication, disk encryption, filtering, DNS, advanced malware protection, as well as a local firewall.
5G vulnerability could usher in new hackers
Enisa, the European computer security organization, has mentioned the groups that could attempt to hack into the 5G networks. It warned that with the introduction of the latest mobile connectivity, security threats to telecoms infrastructure are likely going to increase.
The organization reiterated that there is a huge risk that comes with the introduction of 5G, because it will be vital in connecting up everything from automated factories, connected cars, smart cities, to the internet of things.
Due to this fact, it will draw the attention of both new and existing threat agents with different threat motives. Erisa warned that the introduction of 5G would increase the ways connected devices and networks could be attacked. It will give attackers more courage to exploit other vulnerabilities they would not have thought existed before.
Enisa said there might be an increased number of threats, each targeting a different spectrum because 5G will give them a lot of attacking possibilities.
These attacks could come from nation-states, insiders, cybercriminals, as well as the military. Enisa concluded that organizations and companies should be more careful than ever before by installing robust security platforms in their devices and networks to hold off these attacks when they eventually come.
