October 23, 2025 5G Forces Manufacturers to Redefine IoT Cybersecurity

5G IoT promises innovation, yet cybersecurity hurdles remain.

By Enrico Milanese – Head of Product Security, Telit Cinterion

There are millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors, cameras, etc., in the manufacturing industry, a number that continues to grow every year. In fact, research shows that more than two-thirds of manufacturers (62%) have adopted IoT technologies in their manufacturing or assembly processes. Many of these savvy manufacturers are rapidly incorporating 5G to enhance their IoT technologies, and it’s no surprise why. 

5G brings exceptional speed, greater controllability, reduced latency and increased bandwidth to IoT operations, improving the efficiency of existing systems while simultaneously introducing new use cases like real-time robotic automation, predictive maintenance, and digital twins.

While 5G IoT is the next logical upgrade for manufacturing organizations in these highly competitive markets, it is, in many regards, a double-edged sword due to the security challenges it introduces. Manufacturers must address cybersecurity to realize the potential of 5G IoT without compromise. 

What Are Manufactures Dealing With? A Complex and Expanding Threat Landscape 

As more IoT devices connect to the network, the attack surface grows. The overall increased complexity of 5G further broadens and complicates an already precarious cybersecurity threat landscape. With thousands of connected devices now operating in smart factories, logistics hubs, and supply chains, manufacturers face new challenges that traditional 4G-era security protocols cannot solve. The higher bandwidth and greater number of connected devices mean that 5G IoT services do not fit neatly into traditional security models made for 4G LTE cellular. 

The massive device connectivity with very low latency possible through 5G means that a compromised fleet of IoT devices can be coordinated more quickly and at greater scale than on 4G or Wi-Fi networks. For example, bad actors will exacerbate common cyberattacks, like Masquerade, Replay, Downgrade, and Man-in-the-middle, etc., by exploiting the faster speeds and greater capacity of 5G IoT. Likewise, bad actors amplify botnet attacks through 5G IoT, especially distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns, by mobilizing thousands or millions of insecure IoT endpoints simultaneously.

Unsurprisingly, manufacturers and industrial organizations have experienced more security incidents as a result of digital transformation, with 5G IoT introducing new layers of exposure across connected systems. Research from Palo Alto Networks and ABI Research found that 70% of industrial organizations have fallen victim to cyberattacks and 1 in 4 industrial organizations are attacked by cybercriminals at least weekly. Consequently, these attacks negatively affect business continuity, with approximately 25% of organizations having to shut down operations due to an attack. 

Moreover, as per the recent IBM 2025  X-Force Threat Intelligence Report, manufacturing is the first targeted industry, four years in a row, highlighting the current risk, especially with attacks related to data theft and extortion.

Two Network Security Strategies: Network Slicing and Private 5G Networks 

When it comes to 5G IoT security, a great place to start for manufacturers is the network. When threat actors attack IoT devices, they are ultimately trying to gain access to the enterprise network to move to higher-value assets and steal proprietary information, corrupt data or disable operations. Having a defensible network is crucial to thwarting such malicious efforts.

Manufacturers can use private 5G networks to increase IoT security within local data processing in order to reduce the exposure to external threats. A private 5G network acts as a restricted environment that protects data privacy and improves infrastructure security. This adoption is especially valuable for large-scale IoT deployments in B2B and in multiple industrial domain and use cases. 

In this context, 5G networks can be configured with dedicated network slicing capabilities; this is a technique where an enterprise divides the network into separate virtual networks or “slices.” By separating the network into slices, the manufacturer can not only enhance efficiency and optimize network resources but also isolate traffic and services, reducing the risk of widespread attacks. Even if an attacker infiltrates one network slice, they will be unable to spread beyond that slice to impact other slices. Moreover, network slicing allows manufacturers to apply specific security policies to each slice according to the risk profile. It is important to note that misconfigured network slices may pose risks such as cross-slice contamination, unauthorized access, and data leakage. Therefore, proper configuration and implementation are essential to ensure that this feature delivers its intended security benefits.

Enhancing IoT Security with Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Other Advanced Technologies  

In addition to network slicing, manufacturers can use advanced technologies like machine learning (ML) to address the security challenges of next-generation 5G IoT deployments. According to a research article titled “Machine learning techniques for IoT security: Current research and future vision with generative AI and large language models,” ML models can help users monitor network traffic in real-time to detect anomalies indicative of security breaches. These models are more accurate and faster than humans as they continuously analyze data patterns from connected IoT devices to identify deviations from normal behavior that might signal a cyber threat.

Similarly, manufacturers can leverage artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs) to bolster security amid today’s dynamic 5G IoT landscape.  In a rapid evolution, these technologies can provide several benefits also in private 5G networks to improve several cybersecurity controls and improve the final infrastructure resiliency. The paper discusses several hypotheses for future adoption, beyond common threat and detection use cases, which may soon enhance the overall solution.

5G IoT Deployment and Security Must Be Inseparable 

The heightened risks present in 5G IoT reveal that security must evolve alongside it, not after the damage has already occurred. In other words, manufacturers must bake in cybersecurity from the earliest stages of 5G IoT deployment, anticipating and preparing for threats beforehand rather than attempting to address issues as they arise. 

Of course, relying on one’s in-house capabilities is not always sufficient for such a task, which is why many forward-thinking manufacturers partner with IoT vendors to bolster their security posture. Cybersecurity supply risk management is crucial, as modern manufacturing relies on a globally interconnected ecosystem. Just-in-time production models, reliance on third-party vendors, and digital transformation have increased exposure to supply chain vulnerabilities.

With 68% of organizations facing supply chain cyberattacks in 2022, integrating cybersecurity into Supply Chain Risk Management processes is essential for protecting IoT deployments and embedded systems.

Securing IoT in the 5G era also means being willing to collaborate across telcos, integrators, and IoT developers. To combat an increasingly complex attack surface, manufacturers must work closely with the various IoT ecosystem actors to gain a better understanding of risk scenarios and threat models at each value chain layer. 

The Main Takeaway 

5G IoT holds incredible transformative potential for the manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, there is no question that the future of 5G IoT is full of security challenges. Manufacturers can actualize this transformative potential by making security best practices and their 5G IoT deployments equally important in their overall strategy.

About the Author:
Enrico Milanese is Head of Product Security at Telit Cinterion, where he utilizes nearly two decades of information security experiences to lead product security initiatives. His journey through the IoT industry has been driven by a strong passion for protecting IoT solutions, advancing Industry 4.0 and making meaningful impacts on those navigating the rapidly evolving connected technologies landscape.

Read more from the author:

Is IoT Innovation Outpacing Security? | Cybersecurity Insiders, August 21, 2025

How to Protect IoT Deployments in the 5G Era | CISO Platform, July 17, 2025

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