How To Adopt 5G for IoT and the Enterprise

When it comes to security-by-design, there are industry standards in place that are proven; manufacturers need to leverage those standards and continue working on advancing network development (and 5G adoption) in a practical way, informs Chris Hickman, chief security officer, Keyfactor.

Enterprise is facing pressure to migrate to 5G, mostly due to competitive reasoning. Even as TELCO companies continue to roll out 5G capabilities the overall pace of adoption remains steady, but relatively low. Surprisingly, 5G rollout wasn’t affected by the same level of urgency that drove technology adoption across many other pandemic-related enterprise use cases.  

Nonetheless, enterprises find themselves balancing their infrastructure needs against 5G challenges. 5G has many advantages, it provides a larger data pipe to endpoints and devices with a lot less latency. 5G can scale in ways that Wi-Fi and 4G simply can’t. Think of transport and logistics companies who could create their own coast-to-coast networks for real-time, secure and private shipment tracking. Or connected IoT like autonomous vehicles that could rely on continuous data streams and the ability to access information in real-time. 5G has the ability to make the notion of seamless computing a reality. However, in the case of vehicles in motion, enterprises can’t afford latency in security, so security has to be as fast as the network it’s operating across.

See More: Artificial Intelligence in Zero-Touch Provisioning: A Necessity for 5G Network Slicing

How 5G Works

The backbone of 5G is built using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and the notion of virtual operators. All TELCO companies use the hardware, which can then be segmented across individual providers or “sliced” by a Telco for private use and rationalized using digital certificates. The certificates secure and encrypt enterprise endpoints and devices using PKI. This implementation model (and its reliance on cryptographic credentials) make machine identities more difficult to spoof and easy to authenticate. 

When segmented for price use, the backend of 5G remains the responsibility of the TELCO supporting it, the enterprise becomes responsible for data traveling across the network. The TELCO provider essentially becomes a third-party vendor, and like any other vendor, enterprise teams have a responsibility to ensure that data on the network and TELCO infrastructure management processes align to the enterprise’s security standards, ensures seamless authentication, and supports cryptographic best practices. 

Recent research found that 61% of surveyed enterprises are deploying more cryptographic keys and digital certificates, yet only 42% of respondents have a cryptographic management strategy that applies to limited applications and use cases. That’s a concerning measure of the potential number of enterprises who are in a position to support 5G within their overall security considerations.

See More:  Democratizing 5G: A Technical Deep Dive Into Open RAN (O-RAN)

Security-by-Design Critical to 5G Implementation

5G provides effective infrastructure for enterprise endpoints and it’s also a scalable choice for device makers who produce millions of endpoints. Although 5G provides access over the device, manufacturers must ensure that the device is secure. In order to be scalable and future-proof, security has to be built in at design – and at the speed of 5G. Cryptographic measures at design ensure secure software and firmware updates over time and through the device’s lifecycle, which is critically important in segments like aviation, automation and the medical device market in which devices used could put human lives at risk.   

3 Key Considerations To Support 5G Adoption

Security doesn’t fundamentally change with 5G, however the need and scope of security does, and ensuring the adoption of proven, standards-based technology alongside 5G implementation is critical. 

Here are three key considerations enterprises should bear in mind as they consider 5G rollout:

1. Don’t let security-by-design become an afterthought. Whether you’re building an IoT product to leverage 5G, or implementing 5G to support your growing enterprise network, institute security-by-design best practices to ensure scalable cybersecurity remains at the forefront.
2. Plan for scale.  Over time your infrastructure will continue to be inundated with new endpoints, so leverage cloud technology today that can scale with your infrastructure and support its long life and high use. 
3. Plan for longevity. Implementing new infrastructure like 5G is a long-term commitment, and lifecycle management of the digital keys and certificates used within the infrastructure and across machine identities on the network needs to be considered. Ensure agility across operational and security frameworks and implement strategies that allow your enterprise maximum risk mitigation.

When it comes to security-by-design there are industry standards in place that are proven; manufacturers need to leverage those standards and continue working on advancing network development (and 5G adoption) in a practical way. 

Did you find this article helpful? Tell us what you think on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We’d be thrilled to hear from you.