The U.S. could see large-scale activation of its first 5G cell phone networks later this year, but a Purdue University researcher has found vulnerabilities in the system that could expose it to hackers.
Purdue post-doctoral researcher Syed Hussain says the faster network’s security is better suited for the 4G and 3G wireless technology it’s built from. He worries that makes the network susceptible to hacking information such as a caller’s location and number of calls placed.
Hussain says his work places emphasis on modifying these security features before they’re fully adopted, "because now it's easier to fix," he says, "once it is deployed it's actually much harder to change all these deployed infrastructures."
Some U.S. cities, including Sacramento and Indianapolis, have begun installing 5G networks, in hopes of luring investment to them because of it.
