But watch out for stingrays!

NEW 5G technology offers an exciting opportunity to improve our networks – but it also opens a new door for fraudsters.

One of the key concerns is the threat of so-called ‘stingrays’. This is where a criminal intercepts your mobile signal with a copycat aerial that tricks it into sharing encrypted identifying data about the phone.

Using this information, the fraudster knows what handset you are using, can track your exact whereabouts and might even be able to hack into your phone operating system’s software.

If this is achieved it might be possible to break into your apps that control and monitor 5G ‘smart’ gadgets. By cracking such codes criminals can eavesdrop on phone conversations and even spy on what you get up to from security cameras you place around the home. Harvesting information that can be seen when you tap into a mobile phone could also enable a fraudster to steal identities, using your personal information to go on an online spending spree or using personal details to empty your bank account.

Cyber security expert Colin Tankard, of Digital Pathways, says: ‘The public needs to be aware of the dangers of this new technology – and with more gadgets being hooked up to 5G it increases the risk of problems if you should get hacked.’

Tankard believes those that embrace 5G must ensure they add a layer of security to their smartphones by downloading ‘virtual private network’ software on to their handsets via an app. Such free software is available from security specialists such as Avira, Symantec and Sophos. Decrypting your phone signals to spy on private conversations is one of the key concerns of the critics of the Chinese 5G manufacturer Huawei. The Government is adamant that it has addressed such security issues by only allowing it to have a maximum 35 per cent stake in any projects – with sensitive areas such as military bases and nuclear facilities strictly off limits.

But this has not stopped the National Cyber Security Centre – the cyber war combat arm of the Government’s intelligence service – from voicing concern. The NCSC has listed Huawei as a ‘high-risk’ firm for security.

NCSC technical director Dr Ian Levy says: ‘The level of security in our networks needs to improve as our reliance on them increases. The threat for UK operators ranges from hostile states to organised crime and petty fraudsters.’