5G networks will supercharge the convergence of IT and operational technology (OT) networks and teams, and ultimately this is a positive development. Among the benefits: industrial machines, sensors, and other connected devices can learn on the fly using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Additionally the merger of IT and OT means both teams can better share information and use big data to improving processes and workflows and to make systems and machines more efficient.

But with these benefits come security challenges, which, if not addressed, may be amplified by 5G networks. Now these connected devices and manufacturing equipment can be attacked using the same threats and vulnerabilities that have traditionally plagued IT software and hardware. And just as 5G enables companies to process larger amounts of data and move it more quickly over networks, it also makes it easier and faster for the black hats to attack networks with malware and steal IP and sensitive data.

“Looking at it from the perspective of 5G as a connectivity substrate, and allowing for a lot of connectivity that did not exist before, 5G does improve industrial processes — but it also opens up a soft underbelly when it comes to security threats and attack surfaces that grow immensely and have to be secured,” said Mauricio Sanchez, Dell’Oro Group’s research director of network security.

Sanchez says organizations can mitigate this by implementing best practices including segmentation, and ensuring OT infrastructure uses security controls that IT environments already have in place such as visibility, identity, continuous vulnerability management, and log analysis.

“From a security standpoint, there are some promising angles,” said Gartner analysts Katell Thielemann. “Some configurations may offer better security, e.g., private 5G networks. If designed appropriately, 5G can also potentially add useful features in areas such as anonymity, location trust, trustworthy identity.”

Additionally, 5G unleashes billions of new connected devices that require security. Gartner expects 25 billion of these by 2021 — and they represent the fastest-growing attack landscape for organizations globally. Many of these come with minimal built-in security at best. And in addition to the sheer number, there’s also the scalability issue. “If you go from managing and securing 50,000 devices to 200,000 devices, now all of the sudden you have to know about different kinds of devices, different kinds of protocols, and follow the different vulnerabilities about those devices,” said Jon Oltsik, a senior principal analyst and founder of Enterprise Strategy Group’s cybersecurity service in an earlier interview.

When it comes to devices and sensors, speed-to-market and cost considerations continue to take precedent over security, Thielemann said. And while different vendors such as ARM have developed IoT security frameworks and certifications and standards bodies like ETSI work on 5G and IoT security specifications, “the standards emerging are complex,” Thielemann added. “Security will be difficult to manage due to this complexity and will also have to evolve as the standards evolve.”

Converged IT and OT security platforms are one way that service providers and security vendors including Cisco are addressing these issues, and to this end, IoT security companies are becoming increasingly attractive merger and acquisition targets. Insight Partners acquired IoT security startup Armis for $1.1 billion in January, marking the first cybersecurity acquisition of 2020, and the largest-to-date enterprise IoT security software acquisition.

Converged security platforms provide companies with visibility and management capabilities across IT and OT devices, and allow them to set up consistent security policies across both environments.

This converged platform approach is “definitely a step in the right direction, but what is also means is that the companies themselves need to change since we know [IT and OT] are disparate teams,” Sanchez said. In addition to the IT-OT culture clash, their machines use different protocols — so they essentially speak different languages.

“The IT team consists of server, applications, storage, network, and security. Now they need to bring another team into the fold and into the workflows,” Sanchez continued. “But from a networking and security landscape it does make sense because ultimately it’s the collaboration of these teams that I believe will lead to improved security.”