How to Brace Cyber Security in the Era of IoT?

From the mere basics of one-password-fits all to posting security questions on Instagram, is it possible to avoid theft of your data? Without amplifying on security, all connected devices provide a direct gateway to our personal and professional networks.

The IT and OT teams have been collaborating at a never seen before rate, striving to make everything connected along with strengthening the organizational network security. With the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity skills are gaining relevance with each passing day, as billions of devices can now communicate with each other, from refrigerators and TVs to ceiling fans and vacuums, all offering hackers a chance of direct invasion into our personal, corporate and even federal networks, wherein any kind of confidential data can be either stolen or destroyed.

The IoT technology is advancing at an ever-increasing rate, bringing opportunities but also a brand new set of vulnerabilities, at the same time, outstripping the organizations’ ability to secure internal and cloud resources.

Retrospecting the current situation, the question that emerges as of ultimate importance is, are we ready for such an inflated level of connectivity?  What are the security risks involved in adopting IoT technology?

The Vulnerabilities and Challenges Revolving Around the Internet of Things

IoT can act as a means to expose every part of your life to the internet. It is we who need to consider what such access means to our personal and digital security. The more are these access points, the greater is the risk of a breach or hack.

Inadequate Testing and Updates

The major issue that crops up with industries while developing IoT devices is that they do not take into account security issues until and unless some crucial problem erupts. Once these manufacturers launch their devices, they ensure that it is completely secure but over a period of time it becomes prone to security issues and hackers due to the lack of constant security checks, testings, and updates. Hence opening doors to a number of challenges pertaining to security.

Malware Attacks

It is very crucial for IoT devices to be fortified with cyber security since they are highly vulnerable to Botnet attacks. They are not compliant with regular software security updates that a computer does. A hacker creates an army of bots infected with malware and further directs them to send thousands of requests per second to bring down the target device. It is hacking that gets cyber security in the picture with regard to cutting-edge technologies.

Privacy Issues and Data Security

With IoT devices in your hand, you can’t go about your life without it being public to the agents of the internet. With such approachable access to information, it creates a target-rich environment for hackers, thereby attracting an enormous amount of cyberattacks. No wonder tech giants like Apple and even Microsoft are at risk of security breaches. Imagine if such data falls into wrong hands, it will not only lead to a loss of money but also compromise intellectual property.

Financial Frauds

Companies deploying the Internet of Things for electronic payments may experience the shudders of financial frauds. It poses a huge challenge for companies and manufacturers to ensure timely detection of fiscal crimes. To overcome these issues it is important for such organizations to improve their project lifecycle and risk management strategies that include IoT security breaches.

Smart Vehicle and Home Invasions

Hijacking your smart vehicle and your location – a dreadful dream, but true! The inception of IoT in the fields of smart homes and vehicles has led to the theft of vehicles, personal data, distortion of safety-critical systems, etc. Due to poor defense mechanisms, unsafe devices, malicious intrusions are a threat to public safety and may cause accidents.

Now that you are well aware of the vulnerabilities and challenges that come with IoT, it’s time to know, how cyber security can help you overcome them.

How Can Cyber Security Help in Making IoT Connections Secure?

Ensure a Secure Network

It is highly essential to secure the network that is connecting IoT devices and the back-end systems. Implementation of security features like firewall, antivirus, anti-malware, intrusion detection, and prevention systems can help you achieve this. In order to maintain smooth operation, there is a strong need for the IoT network to be protected and secured.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Features like biometric systems and multi-factor authentication ensure that nobody can access your IoT devices. A potential attacker will need to have your personal information to gain access to the available information, this is where you have the advantage. Implementation of such security options, your IoT devices become well secured against any breach of security.

A Modern and Flexible PKI Strategy

PKI or public key infrastructure allows the users to engage in reliable or secure forms of communication, money exchange, and data exchange. This can be carried out using public and private cryptographic key pairs. PKI ensures encryption of data, which ensures privacy of data, and the chances of data theft are considerably reduced.

Security Analytics for IoT

You can drastically alter the number of privacy issues by implementing various security analytics. It involves collecting, correlating, and analyzing data from multiple resources, which can help IoT security providers in identifying potential threats.

Final Words

Internet Of Things is an extremely innovative and excellent idea, but connecting everything everywhere can have astounding implications. The very devices that are manufactured to protect your personal information can be easily transformed into means of seizing personal and corporate data. This is why it is the appropriate time to understand the “knows” and “hows” of the technology, and join hands with industry experts that accelerates operational transformation, drive efficiency, provides cost benefits, and help gain competitive advantage, thereby spurting your business to new heights without overlooking the vital elements, ensuring the ongoing safety and security of people and assets.