Will 6G wireless internet improve our security?
Mobile data transfers can be surprisingly insecure, but 6G wireless internet coverage may resolve some of these issues
Picture the scene.
You’re away on business, with time to pop into a café before your next meeting/presentation/train/appointment/illicit encounter.
You fire up your laptop and connect to the café’s WiFi or use 4G/5G mobile internet to access sensitive emails, confidential documents and firewalled company intranets.
You glance up and see a studious individual in the corner tapping away on a laptop.
The scene is unremarkable – if you can’t see what they’re seeing.
Because what’s on their screen is what’s on your screen. An insecure internet connection has allowed them to spy on the data you’re sending and receiving.
And suddenly, your company’s confidential information isn’t confidential.
We’ve previously written about this happening across public WiFi, but mobile networks are also prone to data being spied on and intercepted.
Consequently, huge efforts are being made to ensure the forthcoming 6G mobile network is considerably more secure and resilient than its forebears.
Standard vanguard
The sixth generation of cellular communications technology is still in the formative stages of development, with commercial networks unlikely to be launched until the next decade.
Nonetheless, it’s expected to set new standards in terms of data security.
Unlike previous generations, where speed was promoted as the leading benefit of upgrading, 6G’s developers intend to give resilience top billing.
So do the countries who’ll be responsible for operating it.
The Global Coalition on Telecoms is a collaboration between governments from around the world – the UK and US, Japan and Australia, Sweden and Finland.
They announced in March that they expect future mobile broadband technologies to be more secure than today’s systems.
The GCoT also listed a number of core principles which would ensure 6G wireless internet data is more secure than at present.
These include – and forgive us for delving into technical terminology here:
- Limitations on the extent to which software can be spread through the network.
- Day-one incorporation of quantum-safe cryptography to withstand sophisticated password attack tools, spyware or zero day malware.
- Clear indicators that data has been read or modified as it’s relayed between servers and end user devices.
- Integrated security against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Automatic redirection of data which appears to have be disturbed during its journey.
- Robust network infrastructure capable of withstanding any form of attack or manipulation by bad actors., including drive-by download attacks.
- The incorporation of AI algorithms seeking to proactively and promptly respond to cybersecurity threats or potential incidents.
There are other GCoT recommendations about prioritising emergency service communications and ensuring international adherence to existing national regulations.
The over-arching intention is that 6G wireless internet coverage will be secure by design, rather than requiring the sort of retrospective user intervention currently required.
I didn’t realise 5G was insecure?
You’re not automatically at risk every time you leave the house, but 5G has a number of inherent issues collectively limiting its security.
Foremost among these is a reliance on digital routers rather than physical nodes, reducing data providers’ ability to cut off harmful signals.
The increased bandwidth offered by 5G makes even relatively crude hacking technology capable of interrupting cellular network transmissions.
And the more devices we connect, the greater risk there is of one device providing an entry point for cybercriminals.
The insecurities of many smart home devices are well documented, some of which rely on (or default to) 5G networks instead of WiFi.
Of course, 6G wireless internet coverage won’t be completely secure – not least since it will have to work alongside 4G and 5G systems and their existing issues.
The greatest weakness in any network will continue to be people, from leaving laptops on trains to not logging out of websites on shared devices.
Nonetheless, 6G should represent a step change in device security when we’re outside our homes and away from our broadband routers.
As such, there’ll be less reliance on VPNs, military-grade encryption or two-factor logins – and less need for vigilance about that stranger sitting in the corner on their laptop…
