5G: technology enabler, or cancerous security risk?

With the potential to impact peoples' security, privacy and health it is important to ensure 5G's safety before its rollout, say stakeholders

The principle of 5G networking is to provide more than voice, data and messaging: it's about becoming an enabling infrastructure for many other services, from phones to driverless cars. These devices, especially phones, will be a connectivity point for a whole ecosystem - even more so than today.

The technology will be rooted in many areas of technology, and its reach will be wide-ranging. That introduces a dangerous vulnerability when networks are compromised: not only because of the privacy concerns, but due to the many technologies and devices dependent on 5G.

So, what are the main risks that the industry must be aware of?

Security

Cyber security is a constant struggle in the IT market, and the networks carrying our data are just as much of a target as endpoints. Security of service is a big growth area for many network operators.

Simeon Coney is CSO at mobile network security firm AdaptiveMobile, which has solutions ranging from messaging protection to signalling security. The latter point is key; in recent years he has seen a rise in man-in-the-middle attacks that enable malicious actors to remotely attack a user over the network, or intercept communications.

"5G has significant opportunity and potential for operators, but there is also a need to think in a broader and more lateral perspective on security. You have gone from a closed to a very open ecosystem, with many more devices connecting to many more access networks and service providers, and each interaction comes with a significant security risk," he said.

5G uses a three-plane architecture consisting of the Access (used when moving between networks, i.e. from a cell tower to WiFi, or switching providers); Forwarding (which dictates what to do with arriving packets); and Control planes (responsible for mobility management, quality of service control, etc).

These planes can, for example, show where a user in and be used to push files to devices. Coney said, "We have started to see attacks on these planes in the last couple of years, to look up users without their permission. They are not expensive to perform."

5G is opening up the Control plane to enable operators to deliver services. As these companies have little history in delivering service brokerage to third parties, the need for security will grow.

"The danger is an inherent widespread weakness creating a botnet," Coney added.

5G: technology enabler, or cancerous security risk?

With the potential to impact peoples' security, privacy and health it is important to ensure 5G's safety before its rollout, say stakeholders

Dependent technologies

The mention of botnets leads to another area of concern: the IoT. Although this isn't strictly limited to a 5G problem, 5G will enable more, and more sophisticated, IoT devices than any previous networking technology.

Lee Munson, a security researcher at Comparitech.com, told us, "5G will open up a whole raft of new dependent technologies, including the Internet of Things and automated vehicles.

"Given the issues with data theft over 4G, it is therefore concerning that, instead of worrying about a bank account being accessed over the airwaves, consumers may now have to worry about their vehicle being hacked in transit, or their home devices being used to spy on them, or even implanted medical devices being targeted."

Self-driving cars have already proven dangerous

Hacking a car to drive it remotely, or a medical device that is keeping someone alive, could bring potentially devastating effects and threaten lives. That is why, argues Emma Stevens - associate solicitor in dispute resolution at law firm Coffin Mew - security must be a key focus from the beginning:

"The speed of connectivity associated with 5G is set to revolutionise the Internet of Things. It will enable not only a faster, more reliable connection in technologies that are already a reality, such as ‘smart homes', but also facilitate the regular use of driverless cars and remote surgery. Therefore, the potential ramifications of a security breach in this area could be life-threatening…

"Security has often been an afterthought in the development of this type of technology, usually being added on top of the initial design. However, the potential scale of application for 5G means that security must be built into the system as an integral feature."

5G: technology enabler, or cancerous security risk?

With the potential to impact peoples' security, privacy and health it is important to ensure 5G's safety before its rollout, say stakeholders

Privacy

Because of the massive number of devices that will need to be supported, and the comparative weakness of 5G's high-frequency signals, 5G will need up to 20 times the number of base stations as 4G to prevent the signal from dropping.

"The reality of this technology is that the movement of individuals can be tracked far more accurately," said Stevens, while Munson called it "a double-edged sword."

Tracking people - or, more accurately, their devices - using base stations can be achieved with today's infrastructure, but it is nowhere near as accurate. Within what Coney calls "a geographically interesting area" (i.e. one covered by several base stations) like a town, this can get down to an area of one or two streets. In rural environments, "It's more like, ‘On this side of the village'," he said.

5G's increased number of base stations will enable much more granularity when it comes to tracking. Stevens commented:

"Despite the many benefits that 5G will bring in terms of connectivity speeds, the small cell infrastructure required to make this possible has the potential to conflict with users' rights to privacy…

"The data obtained from this tracking would, in theory and without individuals' knowledge, allow third parties to monitor individuals' movements. This would provide significantly more accurate information regarding their purchasing and behavioural patterns than is currently possible through online tracking alone and, for some, this is likely to be viewed as an infringement of their rights to privacy."

New legislation, particularly the GDPR, will stop companies from tracking individuals without consent, but won't do anything against malicious attackers who manage to compromise base station infrastructure.

"The GDPR and the E-Privacy Regulation, both due to be implemented in May 2018, will go some way to improving protections in relation to individuals' data protection and privacy," said Stevens. "However, whether further changes will be needed to accommodate the advances which 5G seems likely to introduce remains to be seen."

5G: technology enabler, or cancerous security risk?

With the potential to impact peoples' security, privacy and health it is important to ensure 5G's safety before its rollout, say stakeholders

Health

Because there will be more devices and base stations, people will under significantly higher exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), on top of the existing cellular networks and WiFi that already saturate the environment. These fields have been proven to harm both people and the environment.

"The increases in speed and data capacity are likely to be huge selling points but, as with 3G and 4G, there are the same concerns about the potential radiation issues that may be brought about through the use of millions of antennae dotted around the country," said Munson.

Debate is ongoing about the health risks of 5G radio waves

More than 180 doctors and scientists from around the world wrote to the European Union in September last year, urging more research to be done on RF-EMF before 5G was rolled out to the general public. They said:

"‘Numerous recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines'. Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plants and animals."

The body added that "Inaction is a cost to society", although other sources insist that there is no conclusive proof that radio waves (a form of non-ionising radiation) are linked to cancer.

The EU currently wants each member state to have at least one 5G-ready city by 2020.

5G undoubtedly has risks, as does any new technology; but the jury is still out on whether they are all valid, or if they've been blown out of proportion. In a decade's time, Brussels' move to limit the strength of radiation in the city could look very wise - or very ignorant.