5G Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities with IoT and Smart Societies

Abstract

5G, the fifth generation of wireless connectivity, is designed to allow long-distance coverage and stable connections as well as rapid data download and upload. As a result of 5G’s the wireless-based technology, the data migration enables a speed of 20 Gbps (Gigabyte per second) through wireless mobile data connections, which simplifies the management of excessive data transmission via 5G. The protocols capability for high quantity data transfer speeds with low latency, compared with the previous generations mobile data telephony makes the protocol ideal for both current IoT and automated systems, as well as enabling the development and further proliferation of more. Data transfer speeds and latency rates have been a bottleneck in the roll out of smart technologies. Despite the relatively high data speeds of 4G connectivity, the availability and development of infrastructure, together with the explosion in the ownership and use of devices utilising the technology, has been a limiting factor in the roll out and use of AI and automated technologies such as driverless vehicles and smart city implementations. Whilst 5G looks to solve these limitations brought by previous generations, there are also drawbacks with 5G. The frequency and narrow wavelength, known as millimeter wave, whilst enabling such high data transfer speeds and reduced latency, also has a very limited distance of effectivity. There is only a very short distance before the signal starts to deteriorate, after which, the deterioration is exponential. 5G signals also cannot penetrate or reflect off of buildings and other obstacles very easily. This means that for a 5G networks implementation to be maximised, direct line of sight between the connected device and the relays or radioheads must be maintained, or at least, with as minimal obstruction as possible. A work around to this limitation is through densification and utilising large numbers of small cell radio heads throughout a coverage area. This will require that there is far greater investment and redevelopment in the mobile telephony infrastructure for this strategy to be implemented.