5G networks and their increased exposure to cyber attacks

Fourth Generation (4G) is starting to show its limits, at a time when new technologies such as;

• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Autonomous vehicles

require increased network speeds, lower latency and greater capacity.

Fifth generation (5G) networks are designed to be open and virtualised allowing different technologies to share the same infrastructure. Virtualisation separates hardware and software, allowing movement from manufacturer specific to commercial off the shelf (COTS) equipment. This segregation allows independent scalability and optimal distribution with respect to bandwidth, capacity and latency.

With the above benefits however comes greater risk. In the race for network service providers to increase their 5G footprint, so the inherent cyber risks associated with 5G will become more prevalent.

By attending this presentation delegates should be able to:

• Identify the benefits that 5G will bring
• Evaluate the increased risk exposure that 5G represents
• Assess what needs to be done to reduce that exposure