5G technology is increasingly commonplace across the telecommunications industry, but that does not mean the telcos have completely figured out how to protect these new high-capacity wireless networks from cyber threats such as malware, Botnets, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Hundreds of Millions of IoT devices are connecting to 5G networks, and each device represents an endpoint that is potentially unsecured, which means that the attack surface of a 5G network is greatly expanded. In an ideal world, every IoT endpoint would be properly secured, so that it cannot be recruited into a botnet, for example, but we are not living in that ideal world.
Another significant factor is that 5G-enabled devices have the capacity to send much higher volumes of traffic than previously possible on mobile wireless networks. Because many of those devices also have the processing power to fully exploit that increased network capacity, cybercriminals will not need to harness as many of them to create powerful botnets to carry out their nefarious activities.
When it comes to harmful botnet-powered DDoS attacks, telcos must now consider that large volumes of this junk traffic could be emanating from their subscriber network, to attack targets across the Internet. The implications of which are obvious from a public and customer relations perspective. The worrying conclusion that can be drawn from the combination of these factors is, that it is now even easier for hackers to launch ever larger volumetric DDoS attacks. The largest reported volumetric attacks in recent years have ranged from 1.7 to 2.3 terabits per second, but with 5G technology, the size is likely to increase by another factor.
Telcos have an important responsibility in preventing the propagation of DDoS attacks. Firstly, because they serve so many individuals and businesses downstream. But also, because the scale of their networks and customer base exposes them to being seen as a source of significant volumes of attack traffic targeting others across the Internet. If they properly secure their transit and subscriber edge, they can protect their customers and their reputation. If they do not prevent these DDoS attacks, they are certain to incur the wrath of their customers and potentially other providers too.
Any organizations that rely on the Internet to maintain business continuity should be prepared for the increased cyber risks that accompany 5G, but Internet Service Providers in particular face a significant challenge to secure their increasingly complex and exponentially faster networks. In an era where DDoS attacks have grown in frequency and sophistication, it is critical that they implement DDoS protection that delivers always-on packet-level monitoring, automated machine analysis and fast, accurate, high-performance infrastructure-based enforcement across the network edge.
For over a decade, Corero has been providing state-of-the-art, highly-effective, real-time automatic DDoS protection solutions for enterprise, hosting and service provider customers around the world. Our SmartWall® DDoS mitigation solutions protect on-premise, cloud, virtual and hybrid environments. For more on Corero’s diverse deployment models, click here. If you would like to learn more, please contact us.