5G Is More Secure Than 4G and 3G—Except When It’s Not

Researchers have also pointed out that some flaws in 5G allow for "downgrade" attacks in which a target's phone connection is manipulated to downgrade to 3G or 4G service, where hackers could use unresolved flaws in those older networks to carry out attacks.

The security and privacy gains of 5G will make a real difference in protecting users from manipulation and threats like tracking attacks. And as a massive horde of new internet connected devices comes online through 5G, features like network slicing will hopefully help manage their security. But there's never a magic security solution that solves every problem. And it seems likely that 5G has its own challenges on the horizon.