INDUSTRY UNLOCKED
to transport information across these networks . And its practical use all but delivers on the promise of the intelligent Edge .
The security risk comes in due to the growing network footprint and the sheer volume of devices that can now connect to a network .
While 5G is no longer a concept we are waiting for but a reality many countries are living in , there is still much to be done by telcos companies to unlock its full value and scale their 5G services .
A security risk
Security is a threat and an opportunity to telco operators in the digital world and as telcos look to expand their services into digital ones , including adding cloud services to the mix , the security risk increases . The same can be said for the addition of 5G services . Why ? Because as networks become built on software , operators can decentralise them , which means that the attack surface expands .
With 5G services , operators widen their network ' s data net and speed , volume and diversity . The same goes for digital services such as direct routing across a data network .
A Software-Defined Network may assist an operator in reducing latency , redundancy , privacy and sovereignty , but it does increase the risks of cyberattack .
Telcos will need to ensure that they add new services , add new security policies , adopt a Zero Trust approach and make security intrinsic to the networking and application fabric they are building . It is a big switch for an industry that had to secure switches and hardware for years .
38 www . intelligentcxo . com