Threat Analysis of 5G Technology Within IIoT Sensors

Abstract

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a subset of the more extensive Internet of Things (IoT). It focuses on industrial applications’ specialized requirements, such as utilities, oil, gas, and electricity. IoT and IIoT share standard technologies, but considerable difference arises in the security area. IIoT solutions require more robust measures as a disruption of the process may result in a significant loss. For example, a disorder of the electrical grid affects economic activity for millions of people. One of the new trends in IIoT sensors is 5G technology, as the first 5G radio networks are live now. As 5G becomes more prevalent and usable, business adoption will overgrow. With 5G technology comes more significant reliance on cloud and edge computing, creating a highly distributed environment. An increasingly connected IIoT will also open up new security vulnerabilities and threats. This work aims to (1) contribute to filling the research gap in narrower subsequent focus on threats of 5G technology within IIoT, and its sensors and (2) identify the threats with high potential risk for this area. The methodology lies in analyzing relevant resources and performing the risk assessment matrix for threats identification and evaluation. This work is mostly limited to the European security documents.