A new survey released by GSMA and Trend Micro shows that there is a concerning lack of security capabilities for private 5G networks such as factories, smart cities, industrial IoT, utilities, and other applications. 5G networks have begun to pop up across the country, however, as more and more entities implement the technology, security will likely be a key issue for enterprises. The survey shows that major gaps persist in security capabilities among mobile operators, hindering enterprises’ ability to adequately secure 5G networks. According to the survey, 68% of operators already sell private wireless networks to enterprise customers, and the rest of the operators plan to do so by 2025. However, these may not be ready by the time 5G is widely implemented as 41% of surveyed operators said they face obstacles when it comes to fixing vulnerabilities related to 5G’s network virtualization.
The study also reveals that 48% of operators stated that they did not have enough internal knowledge or tools to solve the security vulnerabilities that arise. This presents another risk to enterprises in the process of implementing 5G technology. 5G presents a different set of issues from prior wireless networks due to the fact that they are software-defined and virtualized. There is a possibility that rafts of exploitable vulnerabilities emerge throughout the architecture in places that were never exposed before when implemented in previous wireless networks.
Read More: 5G Security Vulnerabilities Fluster Mobile Operators
