Top IoT Threats and Preventions

Featured article by Duncan Kingori, Independent Technology Author

Like any other emerging technology today. The Internet of Things has its benefits as well as risks. The manufacturers of the IoT are promoting the notion that it makes everyday life much easier. These devices rank anything from smart TVs to smart running shoes, all of which can be connected to the internet.

In equal measure, IT security experts argue that the Internet of Things is unnecessary and is too risky due to user privacy issues. A recent survey of 398 studies by the Altman Vilandrie & Company, IT executives in 19 different industries, and almost half of the companies in the US use IoT devices and have at some point have been slapped with a security breach in 2017 alone.

Those breaches caused various companies millions of dollars. Luckily, these threats can be prevented through ottomatik.io offering mysql backup to ensure optimum security for your IoT devices and applications.  Here are the most common IoT threats and how they can be mitigated.

Threats to the IoT network

Without a properly secured network, IOT is fair game to every hacker with a decent internet connection. You can improve security by implementing traditional endpoint features like antivirus, firewalls, anti-malware, and intrusion prevention as well as detection systems.

Authentication breaches of the IoT devices

Authentication should be a key starting point for any device. Ensuring users authenticate their IoT devices is key, considering up to 54% of IOT customer actually own up to 4 devices. Introduce multiple user management features for each IoT device and implement robust authentication mechanisms. You can use two-factor authentication, biometrics and digital certificates.

IoT devices encryption

A lack of proper encryption makes these devices highly susceptible. There is a need to protect data at rest and ones in transit between IoT devices as well as back-end systems with a standard encryption algorithm. This protects the user’s privacy. Also, use a fully encrypted key lifecycle process to enhance the overall security of the user data and their privacy.

Issues on Data integrity

Compromised data integrity is one of the leading threats to IOT systems. You can counter this by using API security method to protect your data integrity moving between IoT devices, applications and back-end systems with documented REST-based APIs. This also ensures that only the authorized developers, devices and applications are communicating with the APIs or detect potential threats and attacks on an API.

IoT hardware threats

Threats to hardware systems require a good diagnostic framework to ensure the hardware of the IoT is secure. Carry out stringent testing of the IoT device capacity, range, and latency. Chip manufactures of the IoT devices should also reinforce the processors to be more secure but consume lesser power.

IOT manufacturers need to carry out broad testing of all third-party components and modules they use in their IoT devices. This will ensure they function better with IoT applications.

Best Ways to Prevent IoT Threats

1. Use IoT security analysis tools

Always use IoT security analytics tools that can detect IoT specific attacks or intrusion. Such security breaches cannot be identified by a traditional network security tools such as firewalls.

2. Develop secured IoT applications

Current IoT technology is still rather frail, therefore if you are a developer of the IoT application, you must focus on the security aspect of your applications. Before you can develop an IoT application, you need to carry out conclusive research on IoT application security. Try to strike a perfect balance between the apps user interface and the security of the IoT application.

3. Avoid rushing the launch of your IoT devices

If you are to stay ahead in the competition, as an IoT manufacture, you should not rush to launch your IoT device. This will only see that you sell your products at the lowest prices in the market. First, pay attention to provide security updates and patches before you launch.

Always carry out proper planning for the long-term support for the security of your internet of things devices as well as applications.

Conclusion

For the ultimate security of the IoT devices, there is need to be aware of current IoT security threats. This is an emerging technology and therefore security threats and breaches are bound to increase, both in scale and impact.

About the Author

Duncan Kingori has been in the writing profession for a decade now. He has great experience writing informative articles and his work has been appreciated and published in many popular publications. His education background in communication and public relations has given him a concrete base from which to approach different topics in various niches.