Telecommunication networks have come a long way. Once designed with the transmission of voice as its main focus, they have evolved with the handling of more data in mind. However, as they moved through the generations, becoming more software-based, security vulnerabilities emerged. 5G cellular was the first platform designed with devices in mind along with the need to transmit data, instead of voice.
Private networks are growing in popularity as the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 continue to show a near endless field of applications, all demonstrating value by increasing productivity, efficiency and safety, while reducing waste and environmental impact. Industries like ports, manufacturing, mining, utilities, airports and process are rapidly deploying private cellular networks to not only help their own bottom line, but also to increase security. But even the latest generation -- 5G -- is not 100% invulnerable to hackers.
With power, comes responsibility
By now, it’s well known what 5G has to offer Industry 4.0: ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-low latency data communications at great scale, allowing technologies like digital twins, augmented reality and robots to operate. As the first platform to move beyond the traditional telecommunication sector, 5G is now perceived as a key digitalization enabler to all society sectors and all economic verticals.
As enterprises and organizations ramp up their digitalization programs and start adopting sophisticated use cases requiring more reliable connectivity with heightened bandwidth capabilities, high-performance 5G connectivity will be essential to achieve service level agreements, while driving cost, output and energy efficiencies. However, the creation and movement of treasure troves of valuable data will draw the attention of cyber criminals, making robust security and data privacy a fundamental necessity, while compliance regulations will make it a responsibility.
Despite headlines, the security landscape is not all doom and gloom
Even though the press makes breaches seem like the norm, there is hope. For starters, 5G networks were built with security in mind, with better intrinsic security functions and protection of data transport over the air. Private cellular networks, just by being closed and private, are already even more secure, but they aren’t impervious to a motivated cyber criminal. Practically nothing is.
This is where working with experienced partners becomes critical. Security cannot be approached alone - it is simply too complex of a task. Security must be a group effort by everyone within an organization and the entire ecosystem. Tools like automation, powered by AI, and orchestration are imperative to making security operations manageable. Every time a new device is added to a network, it must be provisioned, secured and managed. Each device also increases an organization’s attack surface that has to be protected. Along with the proliferation of 5G private networks and variety of deployments, there will be a much higher diversity of potential victims of a cyberattack.
In addition to external threats, as the number of private networks balloons into the tens and hundreds of thousands, so will increase the potential for insider attacks and internal threats. With each new system user added, risk grows. In the past, public networks had a limited number of system administrators, but with the increase in private networks, there will be a lot more of them out there, able to cause damage both intentionally and by accident.
Security is no longer limited to phone calls, internet surfing and the backend equipment that enables it all. Today, insecurity within mission critical communication networks not only affects human lives, but also opens the doors to ecological threats. All it takes is a single, misconfigured device or setting to allow hackers to gain a toehold in an enterprise’s network, from which they can infiltrate the rest of the company’s valuable data stores.
Advanced solutions like Ericsson Private 5G were designed specifically to deal with the complexities of managing and securing a vast, IoT communications network. It was built from the ground up to address security from multiple angles and complements the existing security features already inherent with 5G and is capable of greatly increasing security posture against the modern threat landscape.
Toward a more secure future
With the continued rise of Industry 4.0, we are seeing a convergence of information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and telecom processes. 5G technology is now moving beyond the classic telecom domain. Not just into the enterprise domain, but in virtually all facets of our economies and society. This is forcing a change in the way security is managed.
Traditional, legacy approaches specific to each area cannot just be integrated with force to cover the intersection where businesses sit today. Approaches to end-to-end security must take a step back and address the convergence as a completely new situation, requiring new and different thinking that examines it as a whole, rather than three pieces joined together. We simply cannot reuse legacy methods and practices. Now is the right time to develop new security solutions and approaches to better fit and match how Industry 4.0 is already changing our world.
To learn more about Ericsson Private 5G and how to ensure maximum network security for the future, please read "How to redefine secure on-site connectivity with a private network."
Read our guide to 5G network security 2.0
Read more about automated security management
