The predictions for 5G according to Kaspersky
Kaspersky’s Vertical Threat Predictions analyzes the vulnerability of telco services and infrastructures, the problems for users’ security and privacy and the risks associated with the expansion of critical 5G infrastructures.
2020 will be the year in which 5G technology will start to spread. The various Pilot projects have ended, and operators are already making their offers. Of course, at the moment only a few large cities are covered, as well as places of particular tourist interest.
It will not be all simple, and operators will have to pay close attention to how they implement and manage their 5G networks, which inevitably will end up being targeted by hackers. What are the potential risks, Kaspersky explains to us?
The risks related to the infrastructure of telephone companies
5G is still a very young protocol, and according to Kaspersky, it is probable that the shortcomings and defects of the current implementations will emerge during the adoption phase. For this reason, the company suggests governments to carefully evaluate the suppliers of the necessary hardware, as well as to go in search of vulnerabilities and their solutions.
5G and privacy: Kaspersky’s concerns
The 5G uses two frequency bands, including the millimeter-wave band, which guarantees the highest data transfer rates. Its limitation is the very limited coverage, which consequently will oblige to install numerous cells and repeaters also inside structures such as buildings and shopping centers. Kaspersky fears that attackers sufficiently motivated and equipped with the necessary equipment will be able to precisely follow the movements of users, even inside structures.
Added to this is the enormous amount of information transmitted by the devices that operators could decide to sell to third parties for marketing purposes. Sure, it would be anonymized information, but the amount of metadata collected by sensors could be enough to understand what happens inside an apartment.
5G tempts cybercriminals
5G will pave the way for numerous types of applications, including critical ones: smart building, smart industry, smart cities. In the end, that’s what it was designed for, but the amount of M2M (Machine to Machine) and IoT traffic will occupy a much larger portion than today.
The problem, according to Kaspersky, is that many of the current implementations are built based on the current 4G, whose vulnerabilities could also reflect on the new services.
Kaspersky suggests adopting a zero-trust model to minimize these potential problems, as well as close collaborations between governments and technology vendors so that they can limit potential attacks.
For more information on Kaspersky’s forecasts, see this link.
