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My latest opinion articles
Cybersecurity and Safety in the 5G-Enabled Smart-Everything World
Neil Harbisson calls himself a cyborg. Without the antenna implanted in his skull, he would not be able to see colour of any kind. Born with achromatopsia, a condition of total colourblindness that affects 1 in every 30 000 people, Harbisson's physical faculties are augmented by cyber technology to...
Will Telcos Lose the Edge Computing Battle as Well?
For many end-users of today's communications technology, the cloud is a somewhat mystical concept, a digital equivalent of aether. Most think of it as a formless abstraction "up there" when, in fact, the cloud is rooted in the ground. Or the seabed.
Despite rapid advances in satellite connection, almost all...
What COVID-19 Taught Us About the Need for 5G
There are many adjectives that could be used to describe the global outbreak of COVID-19, but perhaps the simplest might be: fast.
The disease has spread quicker than most people can mentally digest. By nature, humans process linearly. This pandemic has been a lesson in exponential thinking for the common...
Unlocking the Future – Why Virtualization Is the Key to 5G
Depending on who you speak to, 5G is either humankind’s greatest imminent blessing or its greatest imminent curse. Still in its infancy, and not yet commercially standardized, this technology has already been the most polarizing advancement we have ever seen in communication.
Consumers worldwide are captivated by promises of super-fast...
Will 5G and Society 5.0 Mark a New Era in Human Evolution?
In their outstanding book, Wicked and Wise, Alan Watkins and Ken Wilber look at some of the most pressing ‘wicked problems’ facing the human race. ‘Wicked problems,’ they suggest, are difficult to define, but they are essentially unsolvable in the usual scientific sense.
The authors go on: wicked problems, such...
Opportunity and Cybersecurity in the Age of 5G
The human will to innovate is seemingly relentless. The history of our species is one of continual development, with the last 350 years, in particular, representing staggering technological progress.
The first industrial revolution mechanized production using natural elements like water. The second revolution used electricity to enable mass production; the...
Collaboration: The Unexpected Key to Success in Canada’s 5G
In 1967, Lynn Margulis, a young biologist, published a paper that challenged more than a hundred years of evolutionary theory. It proposed that millions of years ago, the eukaryotes emerged not from competition, as neo-Darwinism asserts, but from collaboration.
Margulis’ research showed how single-celled lifeforms working together created an entirely...
The Quantum Computing Threat to 5G Security
Recently, in the science journal Nature, Google claimed ‘quantum supremacy’ saying that its quantum computer is the first to perform a calculation that would be practically impossible for a classical machine. This quantum computing breakthrough brings us closer to the arrival of functional quantum systems which will have a...
IIoT and Trust and Convenience: A Potentially Deadly Combination
When microwave ovens first arrived on the market in 1967 they were met with public skepticism. Perhaps it was because, not long before, the same technology now promising to safely cook consumers’ evening meals was the backbone of a military radar. Perhaps it was the $495 price tag (more...
5G Network: A Quantum Leap in Connectivity – and Cyber Threats
The timeline of human history is marked by inflection points of major technological advancement. The plow, the printing press, the telegraph, the steam engine, electricity, the telephone, the internet: each of these breakthroughs precipitated tectonic shifts in how people lived and worked. Now, in the early part of the...
5G Innovation Zones in Canada for Launching AI and 5G in Tandem
In my previous post I argued that if Canada wants to succeed with its AI-focused innovation agenda, it should also be at the forefront of 5G innovation and development. Canada could get ahead in the global 5G race not by being the first to 5G, but by being the...
5G Health Risks – Health, Wealth and Tin Foil Hats
The rollout of 5G is one of the most anticipated events in humanity’s technological history. But what about the 5G health concerns?
It’s the night before Halloween in 1938 and, as the tale goes, radio audiences tuning into Orson Welles’ reading of War of the Worlds are driven to panic.
Apparently...
5G and AI – Getting Smart About 5G and AI in Canada
Canada has been investing in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for longer than most of the industrialized world. Dr. Geoff Hinton of Google helped ignite the field of graphics processing unit (GPU) deep learning at the University of Toronto. Then he became chief scientific advisor to the Vector...
My latest technology articles
Introduction to 5G Core Service-Based Architecture (SBA) Components
The interest in 5G and mIoT is exploding. It's exciting to see so many IT and cybersecurity professionals in my network trying to learn more about 5G and related technologies.
In addition to my usual articles about the societal impacts of these innovations, I'll start a series of articles introducing...
LoRaWAN Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
I was accused of focusing too much about 5G as the only IoT connectivity option. Indeed, I write quite a lot about how 5G will revolutionize our society, become the most critical of critical infrastructures and about security threats with 5G. I do see 5G, with its low latency,...
Zigbee Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
Zigbee technology introduction
Zigbee is wireless PAN (Personal Area Network) technology developed to support automation, machine-to-machine communication, remote control and monitoring of IoT devices. It evolved from IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard and supported by the ZigBee Alliance.
IEEE 802.15.4 standard determines specifications for the physical and data link layer and Zigbee...
NFC Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
NFC is a short range two-way wireless communication technology that enables simple and secure communication between electronic devices embedded with NFC microchip. NFC technology operates in 13.56 megahertz and supports 106, 212, or 424 Kbps throughput. There are three available modes of NFC communication:
Read/write (e.g. for reading tags in...
RFID Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology commonly used for identification, status administration and management of different objects. It is important for people identification, as it is commonly deployed in the latest biometric passports. It operates in several frequency bands like Low frequency band from 125 kHz to 134 kHz, High...
Wi-Fi Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
The Wi-Fi represents wireless technology that includes the IEEE 802.11 family of standards (IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11ac, etc.). Within 50m range, it operates in 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequency bands,.
This technology was developed for wireless networking of computer devices and is commonly called...
Bluetooth Security Intro (Non-5G IoT Connectivity Options)
Bluetooth is short-range wireless communications technology based on the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol. It works in a crowded license free 2.4 GHz frequency band and shares this resource with many other technologies.
Bluetooth is the optimal solution for establishing small wireless networks called Piconets, by connecting two Bluetooth devices. One of...
Smart home / smart building connectivity options and cybersecurity
We continue increasingly digitizing every form of human activity. Now even our most personal spaces - our homes - are rapidly getting digitized and connected.
The most representative indicator of technology impact on daily life is the development of wireless communications, especially since the 1980s when the 1st generation of...
Introduction to 3GPP and 3GPP Releases 15, 16 and 17
In a major milestone for 5G, 3GPP today finalized Release 16 - its second set of specifications for 5G New Radio (NR) technology. This is a good opportunity to review the 3GPP process and major releases. As well as to clarify some misconceptions about the 5G development process.
This article...
Does the positive review of Huawei UDG source code quality mean that Huawei 5G is secure and reliable?
No, no it doesn’t. Huawei's code might as well be extremely secure. Their code is certainly the most scrutinized. But the recent UDG source code review is not an evidence of security.
ERNW, an independent IT security service provider in Germany, recently performed a technical review / audit of Huawei’s...
5G Network Slicing Technology: A Primer
Hyped as the technology that will transform the world, 5G is moving past the buzzword stage with first implementations coming to life in 2019. Nations are racing to 5G with such fervor that it now became one of the hottest hot-button geopolitical issues.
With...
The Quantum Computing Threat to 5G Security
Recently, in the science journal Nature, Google claimed ‘quantum supremacy’ saying that its quantum computer is the first to perform a calculation that would be practically impossible for a classical machine. This quantum computing breakthrough brings us closer to the arrival of functional quantum systems which will have a...
IEMI – Threat of Intentional Electromagnetic Interference
As our cities, our transportation, our energy and manufacturing – our everything – increasingly embrace Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Controls Systems (ICS), securing its underlying cyber-physical systems (CPS) grows ever more crucial. Yet, even among engineers and cybersecurity specialists, one potential attack trajectory is often...
Latest industry news
U.S. lawmakers introduce bill targeting Huawei for industrial espionage
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers today introduced in Senate a bill aimed "To impose sanctions with respect to foreign telecommunications companies engaged in...
Bell Canada to pause 5G launch due to COVID-19
On Bell's BCE Inc (BCE) Q1 2020 Results Conference Call on Thursday new Bell's President and CEO Mirko Bibic said: "We are ready with...
TeraGo commences 5G fixed wireless technical trials in Toronto
TeraGo Inc. (“TeraGo” or the “Company”) (TSX: TGO, www.terago.ca) is a Canadian managed cloud and connectivity solutions company. It owns a national spectrum portfolio...
Report: Inquiry into the deployment, adoption and application of 5G in AU
Australian government's committee - The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts - has issued a new report on adoption of...
3GPP delays releases 16 and 17 for three months
In response to COVID-19 3GPP has delayed the next two 5G standards releases - releases 16 and 17 - by three months.
3GPP Release 16...
Huawei Greenlit for U.K.’s 5G Network
The U.K. government greenlit Huawei for a limited role in the U.K.'s fifth-generation telecommunications networks. This is a blow for American efforts of the...
Rogers begins 5G rollout in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal
Rogers announced it is starting to roll out Canada’s first 5G network in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal so it is ready when...
ENISA published “Threat Landscape of 5G Networks”
ENISA, the EU's always excellent cybersecurity watchdog, published "Threat Landscape of 5G Networks", a report on threats relating to 5G networks.
The report presents...
Huawei releases its position paper on cyber security
Today Huawei released its position paper on cyber security.
The paper is an excellent summary of 5G security risks, latest standards and industry developments...
5G Will Have Significant Positive Impacts for Canadians
Cities and rural communities across Canada will see significant economic and quality-of-life benefits as 5G is deployed.
According to a new report commissioned by the...
Canadian Intelligence Agencies Disagree on Huawei Ban – Media
According to a recent media report, Canadian key intelligence agencies - the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) -...
Rogers Opens First 5G-Powered Smart Campus at UBC
Rogers Communications, together with the University of British Columbia (UBC), announced the launch of what it claims to be Canada’s first 5G-powered smart campus...
Ericsson Extends 5G Security Partnership with Concordia University
Ericsson has extended a 5G security partnership with Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, through a new industrial research chair awarded by the Natural Sciences...
ENCQOR 5G Launches First Public mmWave Service in Canada
ENCQOR 5G (Evolution of Networked Services through a Corridor in Québec and Ontario for Research and Innovation) industry partnership announced that Canada's first publicly...
GSMA Report Highlights North America’s Global 5G Leadership
A new GSMA report highlights North America's global 5G leadership. The report - The Mobile EconomyNorth America 2019 - part of GSMA’s ongoing Mobile...
Officials from 32 countries gather in Prague to discuss 5G security
Security officials from EU nations, Japan, the United States and Australia gathered in Prague on Thursday and Friday to discuss 5G...
Bloomberg: Vodafone found backdoors in Huawei 5G gear
For years U.S. and some of its allies are claiming that Huawei should not be trusted and that the Chinese company...
US praises Germany’s 5G security standard for network providers
The top US cybersecurity policy diplomat, Rob strayer, praised Germany’s strict security standards for 5G network providers on Wednesday. The requirements...
WP: How China’s Huawei took the lead over U.S. companies in 5G
Excellent article today from the Washington Post: How China’s Huawei took the lead over U.S. companies in 5G technology
Huawei, still the...
Germany’s successful 5G spectrum sale
Germany’s auction of 5G spectrums reached 5 billion euros yesterday, in excess of expert estimates. The high price will mean that whilst...
Swisscom debuts Europe’s first 5G service
Swisscom can claim to be the first European Telecom to have introduced commercial 5G. In co-operation with Qualcomm, Swisscom’s new 5G service...
Verizon beats Korea in launching 5G
Verizon put out a lot of effort in becoming the first telecom in the world to launch a commercial 5G network on...
German 5G auction at €3.7 billion
German 5G auction ended this week with the sum of highest bids reaching €3.723 billion. Showing the level of commitment to 5G,...
£6.8bn impact to UK if Huawei 5G banned
Mobile UK, the UK mobile network operators' trade association, issued a report "The Impact on the UK of a Restriction on Huawei...
US DoD warns about US losing the 5G war
The Defense Innovation Board of the US Department of Defense issued a new study outlining the risks America faces if China takes...
France defines 5G security requirements
France’s parliament is debating a bill that would see the country establish stricter security rules around 5G networks.
The...
Dutch security agency warns against Chinese, Russian tech
The Dutch security service advised the government on Tuesday not to use technology from countries with active cyber-hacking campaigns against the Netherlands,...
Defiant Huawei reports 25% profit growth
Huawei released its 2018 Annual Report today. Despite the growing 5G-related geopolitical spat it has found itself in and U.S. efforts to...
UK government issues a warning of Huawei
UK government’s Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) Oversight Board just published its fifth annual report for the Cabinet Secretary.
EU recommends approach to 5G security
Today the European Commission (EC) has recommended a set of operational steps and measures to ensure a high l Add Formevel of...
AT&T ‘Fake 5G E’ mobile network slower than competitor’s 4G
Open Signal, a company which specialized in assessing the capabilities of mobile networks worldwide has recently tested and found that AT&T’s "5G...
Germany begins sales of 5G spectrum
Disregarding lawsuits and other delaying attempts from Germany’s big 3 Telecommunications corporations, Germany’s Federal Network Agency has seen fit to begin the...
NATO Will Assess Potential Security Implications of 5G Gear
On 14th March 2019, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the launch of his Annual Report for 2018 touched on security and...
Germany Will Define Its Own Security Standards for 5G Security
After Washington last week warned Germany that it would scale back intelligence data-sharing with Berlin if China’s Huawei was allowed to participate...
GSA – 5G Security Primer Whitepaper
The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) today issued a 5G Security Primer whitepaper. The whitepaper provides a top-level overview of the security...
Huawei Cyber Security Transparency Center Opens in Brussels
On March the 5th, 2019, Huawei opened a Cyber Security Transparency Center in Brussels as part of its 2 billion USD Cybersecurity...
About me
Marin Ivezic is a Cybersecurity & Privacy Partner in PwC Canada focused on risks of emerging technologies. He leads PwC’s global 5G cybersecurity efforts as well as industrial, IoT and critical infrastructure cybersecurity services in the region.
[This is a personal blog with guest contributors. All information is provided on an as-is basis. Any views or opinions represented here are personal and belong solely to the author. See Terms of Use.]
How 5G Will Transform Economy and Society
Since the dawn of the 21st Century, the ways in which people and organizations that use the Internet experience, perceive and act in the world is radically changing. We interact with physical objects and systems well beyond our sight and comprehension. Our cars, homes, factories and public transportation are controlled increasingly by computer chips and sensors. This interconnectedness already exceeds much of last century’s science fiction imaginings, but is poised to accelerate even more dramatically with the advent of 5G.
Popular telecom carrier driven expectations about the speed and capacity of 5G consumer mobile...
5G Network: A Quantum Leap in Connectivity – and Cyber Threats
The timeline of human history is marked by inflection points of major technological advancement. The plow, the printing press, the telegraph, the steam engine, electricity, the telephone, the internet: each of these breakthroughs precipitated tectonic shifts in how people lived and worked. Now, in the early part of the 21st century, we stand witness to the birth of a new industrial revolution built on 5th generation cellular technology - 5G network.
As the name implies, 5G network follows a developmental chain. First came 1G, the first generation of cellular communication that freed us to make voice calls without being tethered...
Geopolitics of 5G and 5G-Connected Massive & Critical IoT
Emerging Technology and Geopolitics of 5G
There are several reasons emerging technology is a highly competitive industry, notwithstanding the race for intellectual property that can be licensed by burgeoning markets for revenue. A first-mover advantage is often a way to lock in relationships that can lead to long-term infrastructure commitments, integration support services, and service delivery platform development. As the adage goes, “Whoever owns the platform, owns the customer.” This race to be the first to establish technological platforms and lock-in their customers is increasingly becoming politicized. And 5G, the next generation of cellular...
Cyber-Kinetic Risk – Unintended Consequence of IoT in a 5G World
Getting smart about security in smart systems
Smart used to be something we called people or pets. It wasn't a term one would use to describe one's hairbrush. That is changing, of course, in an era of accelerating digital transformation. Now we have smart homes, smart cities, smart grids, smart refrigerators and, yes, even smart hairbrushes. What's not so smart, though, is the way the cybersecurity and cyber-kinetic security risks of these systems are often overlooked, and with new horizon technologies like 5G, these problems are set to grow exponentially.
Cyber-Kinetic Security and Privacy Threats in Smart Cities
More than half of the world’s population lives in cities. The UN estimates that by 2050 that proportion will be 68% - more than 6 billion people living in high-density conditions. This raises significant challenges. What is the best way to ensure that human needs are met in a fair and equitable way? How will we face challenges like resource strain, waste and pollution management, traffic congestion and connectivity?
In response to these wicked problems, cities are increasingly relying on smart technologies to foster greater efficiency and sustainable growth. These interventions do not, however,...
Three Views of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Future
If you’ve read the many predictions about the future of AI, you’ve likely found them to be wildly different. They range from AI spelling doom for humanity, to AI ushering in Golden Age of peace, harmony and culture, to AI producing barely a blip on society’s path toward ever-greater technological achievement.
Those three views – dystopian, utopian and organic – present issues we need to consider as we move deeper toward an AI-integrated future. Yet they also contain exaggerations and false assumptions that we need to separate from reality.
The Dystopian...
Collaboration: The Unexpected Key to Success in Canada’s 5G
In 1967, Lynn Margulis, a young biologist, published a paper that challenged more than a hundred years of evolutionary theory. It proposed that millions of years ago, the eukaryotes emerged not from competition, as neo-Darwinism asserts, but from collaboration.
Margulis’ research showed how single-celled lifeforms working together created an entirely new organism that became the foundation of all advanced life on earth. This was an inflection point in the development of evolutionary biology, shifting the scientific and cultural narrative away from “survival of the fittest” towards “survival of the most cooperative.”
Though competition contributes to better individual or organizational performance, it...
Introduction to 5G Core Service-Based Architecture (SBA) Components
The interest in 5G and mIoT is exploding. It's exciting to see so many IT and cybersecurity professionals in my network trying to learn more about 5G and related technologies.
In addition to my usual articles about the societal impacts of these innovations, I'll start a series of articles introducing key 5G and mIoT technology concepts. Before we move on to technical aspects of 5G security.
Let's get started with reviewing the 5G core service-based architecture and learning the first few dozen acronyms, out of approximately a gazillion. The cellular industry loves acronyms. Even more than the cybersecurity industry.
5G architecture is...
The Quantum Computing Threat to 5G Security
Recently, in the science journal Nature, Google claimed ‘quantum supremacy’ saying that its quantum computer is the first to perform a calculation that would be practically impossible for a classical machine. This quantum computing breakthrough brings us closer to the arrival of functional quantum systems which will have a profound effect on today's security infrastructure. How will quantum computing affect the security of 5G technologies currently being developed and deployed?
Last spring we suggested that the emergence of quantum internet connectivity and computation, expected sometime in the next decade, poses numerous new cryptography and cybersecurity challenges for 5G security.
MIT offers...
Resources
@5GSec Twitter
5G Network: A Quantum Leap in Connectivity and Cyber Threats - Marin Ivezic - #5G will change everything. With this tremendous power comes tremendous risk. We need to think differently about #cybersecurity #5GSecurity #CyberKinetic https://5gs.ec/2WniIpE
5G Network Slicing Technology: A Primer - Marin Ivezic - Network #slicing for #5G era is still shaping up, with many issues still remaining unsolved. Without it would be hard to justify the massive global investment in #5G https://5gs.ec/2AhoZup
Improving data security will create the next #IoT boom - IoT Now - The security of the internet of things (IoT) remains a key barrier to its proliferation #IoTSecurity #Cybersecurity https://5gs.ec/2S3dv3m
Pentagon Opens Door to #5G Network Shared With Civilian Cellphones - The Trump administration is pursuing a nationwide network that companies could access alongside the military https://5gs.ec/2HrDxv4
China sets out world domination plan for its digital currency - Seeks first-mover advantage and says US dollar ripe to be dethroned #cryptocurrency https://5gs.ec/3cH0BBO
Rakuten and Telefonica join forces in support of #OpenRAN - The two operators have signed a deal to develop open-platform #5G network tech, as well as collaborating on 5G core and operational systems https://5gs.ec/2EzEW1A
Hitachi uses Ericsson to build private 5G network for research | Light Reading - The network will leverage #5G and Hitachi's platform technology to accelerate the development and demonstrate the value of digital transformation across industries https://5gs.ec/2EzEUXw
It’s time to better identify the cost of #cybersecurity risks in M&A deals – TechCrunch https://5gs.ec/333fhIb
Risks of AI - Meeting the Ghost in the Machine - Marin Ivezic - As we move to place #AI at the heart of technologies like #5G, as well as governments, corporations and homes, it is crucial we develop intelligent ways to manage risks https://5gs.ec/3dBRJwq
What do F5, Citrix, Pulse Secure all have in common? China exploiting their flaws to hack govt, biz – Feds - Beijing's snoops don't even need zero-days to break into valuable networks #CyberSecurity https://5gs.ec/3mVNHVa
Europe Is Falling Behind on 5G Rollout, Top Companies Warn - Deployment of #5G cellular-communications networks is alarmingly slow, says a lobbying group, warning that Europe is far behind other regions https://5gs.ec/3j7vP7v
Hungarian banks, telecoms services briefly hit by #CyberAttack Magyar Telekom - Some Hungarian banking and telecommunication services were briefly disrupted by a powerful cyber attack on Thursday launched from computer servers in Russia, China and Vietnam https://5gs.ec/3mTbhSo
ENISA threat landscape for 5G Networks - Initial threat landscape, overview of the challenges in the #security of 5G, 5G architecture, important #5G assets,threats affecting 5G, threats to assets mapping, and an initial assessment of threat agent motives https://5gs.ec/2SXCXby
Intentional Electromagnetic Interference IoT Threat - Marin Ivezic - Even among the #IoT #security professionals, one significant potential remote attack vector is often overlooked: intentional electromagnetic interference #IEMI https://5gs.ec/2SYK5EG
The Uncertain Future of Corporate HQs - The Covid-19 pandemic has seen tens of millions of Americans engage in a gigantic experiment in working from home — one that looks to be more permanent than anyone might have imagined. #FutureofWork https://5gs.ec/3j9RID5
#Automotive #Cybersecurity Is Not One-Size-Fits-All. Here’s How Oems And Tier 1s Can Tailor Their Approach to Meet the Needs of The Market - #Cyber Defense Magazine https://5gs.ec/2S1Crs3
M2M: The Future of Cybersecurity | Silicon UK Tech News - The focus across much of the #cybersecurity landscape has been to mitigate human attacks on networks. However, what about machines attacking machines? #IoT https://5gs.ec/30WAZMY
5G could deliver up to $3.3 trillion of economic and social value in Latin America by 2035 - IoT Now - Omdia and Nokia’s report finds #5G will come to Latin America, sooner rather than later https://5gs.ec/3mUQgXt
