Most people are familiar with the Chinese company Huawei Technologies.
The company operates in over 170 countries, employ over 100,000 engineers around the globe, and has over $100 billion in annual revenue.
Huawei has over 140 mobile and fixed broadband networks. They also offer consultant and management services.
In addition, the company sells smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Companies like Huawei have long been considered strategically important by governments in industrialized nations.
For example, many global powers have leading telecommunications giants.
The U.S. has AT&T, Japan has NEC, and Sweden has Ericsson.
But in recent years, Huawei has emerged as a global telecommunications giant, and the company has dominated the industry.
They did this by investing in product development, and they offer products and services at lower prices than competitors.
One area where Huawei took the world by storm was in the development of 5G networks.
Huawei set the standard for 5G technology with investments and research early in the technology race.
When 5G was introduced, it changed the way people connect their devices and opened the door to connectivity for many more smart devices.
Of course, Huawei’s success could not have occurred without funding from the Chinese government.
In turn, the Chinese government gets whatever it wants from the company.
Today, 6G technology is under development, and there is an ongoing race between companies to be the first and the best.
6G technology has become a priority as companies look for ways to enhance cybersecurity while also creating the latest networks.
It will become the new standard. It’s not if it will, but when.
But with Huawei being the one of the global leaders, while at the same time being beholden to the Chinese Communist Government…
Security could be a huge problem when 6G rolls out, and it’s something you need to know about and prepare for.
So, as the race to 6G continues, here are a few of the security issues you could face.
The Internet of Things:
Each different network iteration can support several connected devices.
For instance, 4G could connect up to 2,000 devices per .38 square miles.
It’s estimated that 6G will accommodate 10 million devices within the same area.
This is necessary because of the number of smart devices people use in their house every day.
The drawback to this is that there will be millions more attack points for hackers and an increase in cyberattacks.
Think about the number of devices in your house that are connected to the internet. It’s likely everything from your refrigerator to your TV.
The more connected devices you have, the more exposure and risk you have.
Outdated security:
By the time 6G is up and running many people will be moving away from passwords.
That’s because as security risks increase, companies will use encryption and certificate-based login.
6G infrastructure will also enable zero-trust networks to isolate communications and create a bubble around networks.
Zero-trust means that the 6G network won’t trust any other networks unless they provide the appropriate credentials.
When 6G rolls out it will lead to a lot of changes in the way we access the internet, while at the same time it could improve outdated security practices such as passwords.
6G security will include artificial intelligence:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be a big part of 6G networks, and these technologies will be used to create stronger cybersecurity systems.
But as security improves, bad actors will focus on finding ways to get around it.
Fact is, AI has its vulnerabilities, but they haven’t been exposed on a large scale because not enough people use them.
But when 6G rolls out, it will only be a matter of time.
AI is only as good as its algorithms, accuracy, and consistency, so cybercriminals will look for ways to undermine these.
As much as society depends on AI, it’s critical to remember that these are still computers, made by humans, so there will be vulnerabilities and mistakes.
As the race toward 6G heats up, I hope companies make cyber security a priority.
But I’m not relying on the whims of big business to keep my personal data safe and secure.
