Connecting our toothbrush to the internet might sound like a futuristic dreamland, but are we fast becoming the architects of our own downfall.

Writing for the Sunday Times, Head of GCHQ Jeremy Fleming has aired his concerns about the digital economy. Yes, it has the potential to create a sophisticated and efficient society with opportunity for all, but also runs the risk of a new form of danger with terrorists hijacking the very same 5G networks which are supposed to make our lives so wonderful. He even managed to drop China in, hinting at the threat of allowing the country to provide the majority of our critical communications infrastructure.

“They will transform healthcare, create smart, energy-efficient cities, make work lives more productive and revolutionise the relationship between business and the consumer,” Fleming writes. “But they also bring risks that, if unchecked, could make us more vulnerable to terrorists, hostile states and serious criminals.”

While it might sound very doom and gloom, Fleming is of course correct. The internet is a scary place with dark corners. New ideas are created every single day, some of them are a force for good, some of which will be utilised by nefarious individuals. The more light which is shed into these unexplored corridors of the web, the more we realise how exposed we are.