Technology for all its promises holds risks and threats. This special investigation by Reuters is an in-depth look into the “5G fight” and the challenge to Huawei from multiple governments, led by the Australians. The opportunities and potential speed and user experience improvements are immense but the security and potential reach of the control of the infrastructure could outweigh those benefits according to many who shared their knowledge in this report.
5G technology is expected to deliver a huge leap in the speed and capacity of communications. Downloading data may be up to 100 times faster than on current networks. But 5G isn’t only about faster data. The upgrade will see an exponential spike in the number of connections between the billions of devices, from smart fridges to driverless cars, that are expected to run on the 5G network. “It’s not just that there will be more people with multiple devices, but it will be machines talking to machines, devices talking to devices – all enabled by 5G,” said Burgess, the Australian Signals Directorate chief, in his March address.
Cyber Risk and hacking are hot topics for our Risky Women and this report looks at the issue and why the focus on this tech giant is sure to continue.
If Huawei gains a foothold in global 5G networks, Washington fears this will give Beijing an unprecedented opportunity to attack critical infrastructure and compromise intelligence sharing with key allies. Senior Western security officials say this could involve cyber attacks on public utilities, communication networks and key financial centers.