How secure are you around "IoT?"

"The number Internet-connected devices continues to grow rapidly, with 50 billion expected by 2020."

This is a staggering amount of data that demonstrates the power and reach IoT. IoT can refer to all devices that communicate and can access the internet via their IP addresses. These "talking machines" are commonly used in industrial machine–to-machine communication (M2M), smart grids, home automation, vehicle to car communication, and wearable computing.

But, the shift from desktop to mobile PCs and now to IoT devices has attracted a lot more malicious activity. These internet-connected devices can be used as access points to hack into any network. It's a concern for every business because these devices are beginning to show up in corporate offices to be used in executive suites, conference rooms and as low-cost security cameras for buildings Fortinet Colombia.



It seems that the variety of cyber threats is mirroring the diversity IoT devices. Devices that are "always on" and have network connectivity enable new types of attacks, opening the door to new kinds of crime and data exposure.

"Dyn, an internet infrastructure firm, was attacked on Friday, October 21, 2016. This attack was so extensive that Dyn, an internet infrastructure company, was unable to access many popular websites like Twitter, Amazon, Netflix and many more.

"An identical attack was launched on KrebsOnSecurity on 20 September 2016. This attack was carried out using approximately 145,000 IoT device and was described by KrebsOnSecurity as a huge botnet hijacking all internet-connected devices, including smart lights and smart cameras.

These attacks caused severe disruption and exposed how IoT security flaws can create havoc. Experts say that this industry is not doing enough protection for these devices. IoT devices are plagued by slow implementation of security measures by their manufacturers. Devices such as security cameras, for example, are made as cheaply as possible. They come with the most basic software available, which can often not be updated.

Smartwatches and other new device types create new challenges. Attacks on companies are becoming more targeted at employees with "smartthings" enabled, which means it is important to integrate personal devices into a security strategy.

It is crucial that we protect the privacy and confidentiality of all data when connecting everything to the future. They should define what devices are allowed to use the company network as well as what data can be shared with the network. With the right security technology, it is possible to stop unwanted traffic.

"Dan Lyon, the principal consultant at security-as-a-service firm Cigital, says, businesses need to start evaluating IoT products not only for the benefit they provide but also for embedded security features."

 

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