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As 5G networks continue to roll out worldwide, the looming question of how we can overcome cyber threats continues to elude even the experts. In fact, it is for this very reason the National Security Agency (NSA) released unclassified 5G security guidance, which includes Potential Threat Vectors to 5G Infrastructure and other documents that examine ways to mitigate such threats in order to aid government and industry in integrating security into every aspect of the 5G ecosystem.
Current NSA 5G security recommendations emphasize Zero Trust as the foundation of a multilayered approach. Forrester first introduced the concept in 2014. It is based on the assumption that everything – and everyone with an Internet of Things (IoT) device – is already compromised and endorses validation of devices, apps, individual users, and networks before access is granted. It also includes a process for detecting and remediating threats, with recommendations such as:
- Building security into solutions and services from the start
- Utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify, detect, and respond to threats in real time
- Deploying only IoT devices that meet current National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) security standards
- End-to-end data encryption
Although it is being widely embraced, particularly by organizations challenged with a dispersed workforce that has made the network perimeter all but disappear, it has not provided the panacea for overcoming cyber threats today nor likely into the 5G future. Here’s why: 5G architecture is based on a virtualized, highly distributed, software-defined infrastructure and relies heavily on application programming interface (API) to support service functions, as well as radio frequency (RF) signals for transmitting data, which are inherently insecure and easy to intercept. Given that billions of IoT devices are in use every day that rely on RF for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee, and Cellular connectivity, it should come as no surprise that thousands of hacks occur on a daily basis.
To overcome – not just mitigate – cyber threats in a 5G world and beyond, it may require the use of another technology, Optical Wireless Communication (OWC), also known as Free-Space Optical (FSO) communication. Transmitting data via narrow beams of light, OWC has been in use by NASA for decades to support critical exploration activities such as its Laser Communications Relay Demonstration and the Orion Exploration Mission 2 Optical Communications project. Because this point-to-point, line-of-sight technology uses lasers focused on the intended recipient, it is extremely difficult to not only intercept but also detect, which is why government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense and many commercial users like StarLink are using OWC for satellite communications. With free space in its operating spectrum, OWC is also unregulated, which means there is no cost or licensing required for use. That’s a massive advantage when considering that the recent acquisition cost of 5G RF spectrum at the FCC Auction 107 topped out at $81.11 billion (becoming the most expensive mid-band 5G spectrum auction ever worldwide).
Faster, more secure, and reliable than RF – even for the most bandwidth-intensive applications – OWC has become a safe, well-established technology being used to augment existing RF and fiber capabilities to close the last-mile gap in internet access. Looking to the future and perhaps the sixth generation of connectivity, OWC may become the leading technology holding the key to securing the datasphere. For this to occur, several issues must be addressed and solved, including potential interference caused by rain, dense clouds, fog, snow, heavy pollution, and high winds. In the meantime, we will likely hear more about this amazing technology not just in the space and defense industry but in the commercial sector where the stakes, as well as risks, have never been higher.