The much-touted 5G telecommunications standard is no longer a fantasy. In fact, it is well on its way to becoming a reality for both end users and enterprises alike.

As the rollout of these new networks gets closer and closer, and as the next generation of shiny, 5G-enabled smartphones start to appear on store shelves and in the hands of consumers, we will be experiencing a new paradigm shift in speed and latency-free access to the internet, regardless from where a user deigns to connect.

Whilst consumers may be looking forward to 5G for its promises of lightning fast video streaming, downloads and coverage, what they might not consider is how the universal rollout of 5G is set to completely change the way they, as employees, access the internet in their day-to-day work.

This, of course, will have significant implications for their employers also.

The concept of bring your own device (BYOD) may have been novel five or six years ago, but is now the norm in most organisations, and the proliferation of consumer IT has dramatically changed the way we live and work.

The upcoming 5G-enabled phones will take this worker flexibility to the next level. In fact, the speed and latency-free internet access of 5G means that accessing internet-based applications via a user’s own device will be even faster than accessing the same app via the corporate network from an office desk.

5G is expected to be so disruptive that the days of the LAN infrastructure may be numbered.

In the era of 5G, expectations for quick and hassle-free access to applications are only set to climb. When applications are hosted in the cloud, fast internet access is more important than ever.

If a user’s device has faster internet access than the corporate network, those users are likely to continue using their superior mobile access, as opposed accessing the internet via the corporate network.

People naturally gravitate toward the path of least resistance, with the intent of simply getting their job done in the most convenient way. This predilection for the easiest, shortest route is not limited to IT use – it’s an inherent part of human nature, like walking across the grass instead of taking the path.

However, security may not be top of mind for users as they access work applications while away from the corporate headquarters. Protecting an on-premises network infrastructure will become less relevant and organisations will have to adapt to secure the “edge” once more: in this case, the individual user on their mobile device.

Employers will have to be able to respond to the effects of evolving user behaviour introduced by 5G. The problem with this anticipated new way of working is that users will access their cloud-hosted business applications directly, trying to get their job done in the fastest and most effective way.

However, this may mean side-stepping corporate IT security controls, which will introduce security risks for enterprises.

Organisations are therefore facing a tipping point when it comes to securing the corporate network. A workforce that is no longer tied to a desk and directly accessing the internet requires an infrastructure transformation.

Traditional hub-and-spoke networks, combined with VPN gateways, have not been designed for mobility and the cloud. Users need to be secure in this new world order of agility, but it’s impossible to replicate perimeter security on every device.

One workaround is to apply security on the way to the internet, sitting between the user and applications in the cloud, without traffic backhauling to a hub with a secured perimeter at the corporate network.

From a corporate standpoint, such a set up enables visibility across the entire enterprise network, including connected mobile device traffic, and is critical in defending corporate assets from increasingly sophisticated hackers.

For modern enterprises, it’s impossible to avoid the consumerisation of IT. With the arrival of 5G and its instantaneous speed of application access, many are now beginning to wake up to the new technical reality and its associated security considerations.

There’s a new balancing act at play. Ultimately, employees must be given the usability they demand. However, it also incumbent upon organisations to ensure that users and the business are protected and can reap the benefits without compromising on security.

In the universally 5G-enabled (near) future, enterprises will soon be managing employees who are increasingly browsing the web at speeds above 1Gbps.

This brings corporations one step further to the reality of the internet becoming the new corporate network, with decreasing reliance on their LAN. Organisations must ensure that their security strategies are future-proofed for this purpose.

By Sean Sullivan, head of EMEA channel at Zscaler.