5G Crucial to Cyber-security Policies

Cyber-security policies must be enhanced to avoid potentially catastrophic cyber threats and security breaches.

23:45 05 March 2019

5G is expected to play a crucial role in many industries when it becomes available starting 2020. In the UK, preparations are being taken to incorporate the technology into the healthcare sector. IoT company Pangea Connected is currently working with London’s Kingston University to develop a new 5G-enabled video streaming service that will allow A&E doctors to triage patients before they arrive at the hospital.

 

Dan Cunliffe, managing director of Pangea Connect, said that although 5G network has the capacity to revolutionise the way that the UK provide healthcare, there are risks involved as it is a relatively new technology.

 

 “5G networks will provide exceptional and exciting changes to all our lives, due to its dramatically improved bandwidth and reduction in latency,” he said.

 

“However, as with all new technology, there are risks. Networks will need to be built and upgraded to accommodate the innovation in technology, meaning there could be potential cyber threats and possible issues with security breaches.

 

“All sectors face a level of risk, but in terms of healthcare, perpetrators are most likely to try to compromise patient records or intercept data produced by healthcare devices.”

 

He added: “Security breaches in healthcare aren’t new—we saw it happen in the NHS in 2017, and those attacks could have been easily avoided.

 

“There’s potential for issues such as incorrect medication delivery or patient identity theft, both of which are dangerous in their own right; which is why its in healthcare providers’ best interests to ensure their network security is watertight.

 

“Tech and security are always going to be intrinsically linked, and if these life-saving solutions are going to work, we really need healthcare providers to work alongside us to invest in and implement the right level of security.”