Using technology tools and advanced methodologies will allow governments to secure their vital 5G-powered national infrastructure and services.
FREMONT, CA: Fifth generation (5G) wireless technology can transform how the government achieves its critical missions. With improved bandwidth, government agencies can connect more mission-supporting devices than ever. 5G promises to increase the functionality of these devices through less latency and speeds that are up to 100 times faster than the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. This can translate into enhanced performance, security, safety, and efficiency for federal missions. If the security of 5G networks is compromised, the consequences will be vast. The more indispensable 5G networks become, the heavier the price they will be for hackers. This is why governments are being extremely careful about how they deploy 5G. From essential services to defense, every aspect of government functions is potentially vulnerable if 5G security fails.
5G connectivity is architected around and includes technologies such as IoT, big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. 5G will potentially be a large planetary sensor that can immediately identify anomalies and spot multi-dimensional attack vectors. This type of intelligence and analytics will be essential for 5G networks to accommodate the several use cases and performance vitals they will have to meet. It also arms them with the intelligence and resources to sense attacks and defend themselves when needed.
Developing integrated end-to-end security for 5G government and defense networks should include the full set of capabilities. Security labs that can apply the advanced security testing and verification will also play a vital role in continuously testing whether critical security requirements are met. Equipped with the intelligence and sensing abilities of 5G, security teams in the 5G era will be to limit how and where hackers can attack networks and services. They will require to be more accurate in deciding which threats are real and which can be avoided. Fortunately, there are tools like AI and machine learning to identify and accelerate mitigation when a defensive response is required.
