Securing the IoT in the 5G Era

Issue 3 2021 Infrastructure

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are everywhere. From consumer devices such as connected thermostats and door-entry systems to Industrial IoT (IIoT) such as actuators and sensors, these smart and connected devices are increasingly being deployed in all areas of industry – manufacturing, oil and gas, energy, mining and agriculture.

It’s all about the data. The value and intelligence derived from the data that is extracted from these devices is priceless with endless opportunities for organisations or individuals. IoT adoption figures confirm this growing importance: connected devices have exponentially increased in the last five years, with approximately 20&bbsp;billion devices in 2020 and around 75&bbsp;billion planned by 2025.

This acceleration will be fuelled by 5G. For most people, 5G is associated with faster downloads to their mobile phones. However, the real driver for 5G will not be phones, but IoT as it will bring powerful capabilities such as high device density and highly reliable communications with very low latency. In addition, cheap sensors can be built with a low operational cost, identity management, authentication and authorisation mechanisms, as well as roaming and mobility.

A big issue is that the IoT devices market isn't regulated and homogeneous. With cheap consumer IoT, there is not a significant demand nor budget for security and as such, it tends to be somewhat forgotten.

Best practices to protecting IoT in a 5G world

The reality is that no device is truly secure and for that reason we need a comprehensive and integrated approach to security that can deliver the following three key capabilities:

Visibility: Having a global view of the system and its components, understanding which devices are connected to the network and whether they are operating normally is key.

Prevention: IoT devices often have limited connectivity needs and segmentation can be used to restrict access. Application-aware firewalls can ensure that only authorised protocols and applications are allowed and intrusion prevention can detect and block any attempts to scan for vulnerabilities or security holes and prevent any attempt to exploit those vulnerabilities. The next-generation firewall provides all of these security tools and many more and should include an industrial package that understands all of the protocols and applications that are commonly used in industrial networks. For the IoT infrastructure and ecosystem, most communication is via REST APIs, so a dedicated tool is required to ensure that any attempts to gain access or exploit these APIs is detected and stopped.

Real-time detection and mitigation: Despite best efforts to block an attack, we must always assume that one day the attack will succeed. Following a successful exploit, there is a period where the attacker will try to get as much information as possible about the environment, try to determine where are the high-valued assets and how best to monetise the breach. This means that there is a short window of opportunity to detect the breach, identify the compromised devices and remove them from the network to ensure that the breach is contained and the attack blocked. Here a full range of solutions for anti-botnet, compromise detection, user and endpoint behaviour analysis, designed to detect infection as soon as it happens, is necessary.

In conclusion, the steps to securing IoT in a 5G era won’t be any different than what we see in other ecosystems: an integrated and holistic security architecture is necessary, to provide not only the visibility required to see and identify these devices, but also deliver the prevention and detection components needed to mitigate the effects of an attack.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

A passport to offline backups
SMART Security Solutions Technews Publishing Editor's Choice Infrastructure Smart Home Automation
SMART Security Solutions tested a 6 TB WD My Passport and found it is much more than simply another portable hard drive when considering the free security software the company includes with the device.

Read more...
Five tech trends shaping business in 2025
Information Security Infrastructure
From runaway IT costs to the urgent need for comprehensive AI strategies that drive sustainable business impact, executives must be prepared to navigate a complex and evolving technology environment to extract maximum value from their investments.

Read more...
Threats, opportunities and the need for post-quantum cryptography
AI & Data Analytics Infrastructure
The opportunities offered by quantum computing are equalled by the threats this advanced computer science introduces. The evolution of quantum computing jeopardises the security of any data available in the digital space.

Read more...
Navigating today’s cloud security challenges
Information Security Infrastructure
While the cloud certainly enables enterprises to quickly adapt to today’s evolving demands, it also introduces unique challenges that security teams must recognise and manage. Vincent Hwang offers insights from the 2025 State of Cloud Security Report.

Read more...
The rise of autonomous data recovery
Information Security Infrastructure
Escalating cyberthreats and attacks constantly put businesses under pressure, increasingly prompting organisations to shift their mindsets towards ensuring continuous operations and thus avoiding downtime and revenue loss.

Read more...
Can we really fight AI cybersecurity threats with more AI?
Information Security Infrastructure
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being weaponised by cybercriminals, the question of whether we can effectively combat AI threats with more AI is not just a technical inquiry but a pressing global concern

Read more...
Partnership delivers 40% storage savings for surveillance
Surveillance Infrastructure
Large-scale video surveillance users and applications demanding extended storage periods will benefit from up to 40% savings on video storage hardware stacks thanks to a new partnership between IDIS and Secure Logiq.

Read more...
How smart video is transforming storage at the edge
Infrastructure Surveillance
As these technologies come together, they are impacting the architecture of the edge and what we require from data storage. More specifically, they are driving a demand for specialised storage.

Read more...
VPS hosting set to dominate in 2025
Infrastructure
SME market growth and the increasing need for a digital footprint are pushing VPS growth in South Africa, especially since it is now perceived as a viable business tool, scalable by nature, with improved performance.

Read more...
Threats, opportunities and the need for post-quantum cryptography
AI & Data Analytics Infrastructure
The opportunities offered by quantum computing are equalled by the threats this advanced computer science introduces. The evolution of quantum computing jeopardises the security of any data available in the digital space.

Read more...