Security News > 2020 > January > 5G Security

The security risks inherent in Chinese-made 5G networking equipment are easy to understand.

These insecurities are a result of market forces that prioritize costs over security and of governments, including the United States, that want to preserve the option of surveillance in 5G networks.

If the United States is serious about tackling the national security threats related to an insecure 5G network, it needs to rethink the extent to which it values corporate profits and government espionage over security.

To be sure, there are significant security improvements in 5G over 4G­in encryption, authentication, integrity protection, privacy, and network availability.

In some cases, doing so isn't hard: Adding encryption to an iPhone or a messaging system like WhatsApp provides security from eavesdropping, and distributed protocols provide security from disruption­regardless of how insecure the network they operate on is.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/01/china_isnt_the_.html