Palo Alto Networks’ John Davis: Agencies’ 5G Deployment Requires Zero Trust, Automated Threat Intelligence

John Davis, vice president and federal chief security officer at Palo Alto Networks, said that agencies must assess their internet-of-things network infrastructures to prepare for secure 5G implementation.

Davis wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday on FedTech Magazine that agencies must build on the knowledge that 5G implementation comes with cyber risks and vulnerabilities despite benefits such as low latencies and streamlined logistics for applications such as base operations and aircraft carrier missions.

He noted that 5G will make cybersecurity “a crucial requirement” for agencies that are yet to update their networks and cyber capabilities.

A cloud-based and 5G-driven environment entails real-time network visibility, zero-trust architectures and threat intelligence elements that support machine learning and automation, according to Davis.

He added that the government’s 5G rollout is “nascent but accelerating” and that the Department of Defense is working to establish a model for 5G networks based on zero trust.

“Now is the time to plan not only for 5G but also for the technical measures required to mitigate the new cybersecurity risks that loom for federal agencies’ network infrastructures, applications, services and information, which will rely on 5G networks,” said Davis.