Is 5G Secure?

5G is the latest generation of wireless networks. 5G can carry data at multi-gigabit rates with a peak speed as high as 20 Gbps.

These speeds transcend landline network speeds and are especially useful for low latency real-time applications like voice.

5G is built on 4G LTE technology. The difference between the two is that 4G uses lower-frequency bands built for long-range access. 5G on the other hand is the opposite boasting higher speeds using short-range high frequency signals.

5G networks expand to thousands of IoT end nodes, or in the case of remote employees, all users accessing the private network outside the protection of the internal network.

5G was optimized for the IoT world, which hosts billions of devices around the world, increasing the number of vulnerable network devices exponentially.

While 5G provides freedom for the employee, it creates headaches for the IT department. As employees communicate and access sensitive business data over a public network, companies will lack the visibility they need to protect their employees.

Even though 5G is a "cloud-native" service-based architecture, it is not secure. Regardless of whether companies formally approve employees using 5G technology, it will inevitably be used regardless.

As 5G adoption becomes more ubiquitous, companies will become more vulnerable. In order to prepare for future 5G adoption, companies must employ secure access service edge technology (SASE).

When employees are remote, they don’t have access to the company’s local firewall protection. SASE provides a virtual cloud-based firewall that extends the security and network visibility of the office to the user’s device.

SASE in and of itself is not only helpful but essential to any business. When adding SASE to your security arsenal, you also add the burden of managing the technology. To help alleviate and automate SASE management, CommandLink has consolidated every security and network component into our proprietary ITSM technology.