12. Evolving Cyberspace: The Marriage of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) Technologies

Recent technological developments have seen the emergence of two new technologies with the potential to drastically change the way we have viewed and used cyberspace. With the phenomenal development and growth of the fifth generation (5G), a technology that is greatly increasing the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks, and the Internet of Things (IoT), a technology that allowed a high degree of network connectivity where any connected device can talk to each other by sending and receiving data, a new dawn in a remarkable cyberspace was born. Noting that wireless networks are a core component of cyberspace, 5G technology inevitably becomes a fundamental outlier of cyberspace. Also noting that wireless devices form the bulk of the outliers of cyberspace; hence, the many devices that form the Internet of things (IoT), a new marriage between 5G and IoT was inevitable. The resulting environment is the new frontier of cyberspace wherein miniature devices including bread toasters are talking smartphones as the house fridge talks to the garage door opener. It is a wild west and a social, ethical, and security quagmire. All this mayhem is a result of our total dependence on technology, now creeping ever closer into our living and bedrooms. The home front, as the last frontier of defenses, is now the security war front, brought home by the 5G and IoT technologies. In this chapter, we are going to explore these technologies, highlight the problematic issues, comment on the ethical implications, and outline the latest security tools and best practices.