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Cybersecurity in 5G networks Report on EU coordinated risk assessment of 5G networks security

On 9 th

October 2019, EU Member

States, with the support of the European Commission and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), published a report on the EU coordinated risk assessment on cybersecurity in fifth-generation (5G) networks. The report is based on the results of national cybersecurity risk assessments by all EU Member States, which is part of the implementation of the European Commission Recommendation adopted in March 2019 to ensure a high level of cybersecurity of 5G networks across the EU. 5G networks will provide virtually ubiquitous, ultra-high bandwidth and low latency connectivity not only to individual users but also to billions of connected objects. 5G networks are expected to serve a wide range of applications and sectors, which could include a diverse range of services

that are essential for the functioning of the internal market as well as for the maintenance and operation of vital societal and economic functions, e.g. energy, transport, banking, and health, as well as industrial control systems. Also the organisation of elections is expected to rely more and more on digital infrastructure and 5G net

works. It is evident that

ensuring the security and

resilience of 5G networks is essential and that any vulnera

graphik: © dmutrojarmolinua, stock.adobe.com

bility in 5G networks or a cyberattack targeting the future networks in one Member State would affect the Union as a whole.

“Protecting 5G networks aims at protecting the infrastructure that will support vital societal and economic functions – such as energy, transport, banking, and health, as well as the much more automated factories of the future. It also means protecting our democratic processes, such as elections, against interference and the spread of disinformation.”

Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society,

26 March 2019

phto: © European Union 2019, Source: EC – Audiovisual Service

The Report The report identifies a number of important security challenges likely to appear or become more prominent in 5G networks, in reason of the key innovations in 5G technology, in particular the important part of software and the wide range of services and applications enabled by 5G.

Conclusions (excerpt): “a) The technological changes introduced by 5G will increase the overall attack surface and the number of potential entry points for attackers: • Enhanced functionality at the edge of the network and a less centralised architecture than in previous generations of mobile networks means that some functions of the core networks may be integrated in other parts of the networks making the corresponding equipment more sensitive (e.g. base stations or MANO functions); • the increased part of software in 5G equipment leads to increased risks linked to software development and update processes, creates new risks of configuration errors, and gives a more important role in the security analysis to the choices made by each mobile network operator in the deployment phase of the network; b) These new technological features will give greater significance to the reliance of mobile network operators on third-party suppliers and to their role in the 5G supply chain. This will, in turn, increase the

number of attacks paths that could be exploited by threat actors, in particular non-EU state or state-backed actors, because of their capabilities (intent and resources) to perform attacks against EU Member States telecommunications networks, as well as the potential severity of the impact of such attacks. (…) Together, these challenges create a new security paradigm, making it necessary to reassess the current policy and security framework applicable to the sector and its ecosystem and essential for Member States to take the necessary mitigating measures. This requires identifying potential gaps in existing frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, ranging from the implementation of cybersecurity legislation, the supervisory role of public authorities, and the respective obligations and liability of operators and suppliers.” > Web https://bit.ly/33RmoAY

“Fake news” and disinformation How the European Union is fighting against the spread of disinformation

The Action Plan on disinformation With the aim to strengthen resilience to disinformation campaigns ahead of the 2019 European elections, the European Union outlined in December 2018 an Action Plan to step up efforts to counter disinformation in Europe and beyond. Focusing on four key areas, this plan serves to build the EU’s capabilities and strengthen cooperation between Member States by:

• improving detection, analysis and exposure of disinformation; • stronger cooperation and joint responses to threats; • enhancing collaboration with online platforms and industry to tackle disinformation; • raising awareness and improve societal resilience. > Web https://bit.ly/2Rqyqzo

The Code of Practice on Disinformation The Code of Practice on Disinformation is the first worldwide self-regulatory set of standards to fight disinformation voluntarily. It was signed by platforms, leading social networks, advertisers and the advertising industry in October 2018. Signatories of the Code presented detailed roadmaps to take action in 5 areas: • Disrupting advertising revenues of certain accounts and websites that spread disinformation; • Addressing the issue of fake accounts and online bots;

• Making political advertising and issue based advertising more transparent; • Empowering consumers to report disinformation and access different news sources, while improving the visibility and findability of authoritative content; • Empowering the research community to monitor online disinformation through privacy-compliant access to the platforms’ data. > Web https://bit.ly/2xEjvpw

The Communication on tackling disinformation These actions have built on the Communication on tackling online disinformation from April 2018, which highlighted the role played by the civil society and the private sector in tackling the spread of disinformation. > Web https://bit.ly/2HUijoc

photo: © European Commission graphik: © finevector, stock.adobe.com / ESDU

Publication Journalism, ”Fake News” and Disinformation – Handbook for Journalism Education and Training

Published by UNESCO, this handbook is part of the “Global Initiative for Excellence in Journalism Education”, which is a focus of UNESCO’s International Programme for the DevelopmentofCommunication (IPDC). Thehandbook, written byexpertsin thefight against disinformation, is intended for all those who practice or teach journalism in the Digital Age. It explores the very nature of journalism with different modules on: why trust matters; thinking critically about how digital technology and social platforms are conduits of the information disorder; fighting back against disinformation and misinformation through media and information literacy; fact-checking 101; social media verification and combatting online abuse. > Web Access to the publication: https://bit.ly/32ELCm0