Many of the government policy discussions on 5G have centred on ensuring the economic benefits for the UK of constant connectivity are not eroded by concerns about network security. Last week’s publication of the draft Telecoms Security Bill (TSB) appears to signal that operators will face both increased scrutiny over their security practices and OFCOM-issued codes of practice. In this article, we consider some of the key risks identified by the National Cyber Security Centre in January this year (in particular virtualisation of networks and the threats posed by signalling systems), what steps OFCOM may take in respect of related codes of practice for network security and whether the TSB can minimise network security issues without curbing innovative network solutions.
