The Dangers of an Unprotected IoT Network
These vulnerabilities make IoT devices susceptible to hacking, data breaches, viruses, malicious software and other software attacks. This can become annoying if, for example, your Apple cellphone images are released—and deadly if your IoT-enabled car is hacked.
“A new security architecture is required to deal with the increasing connectivity of devices belonging to the Internet of Things,” warned Ciaran Bradley, AdaptiveMobile’s CTO. “There will be billions of devices connected through IoT—many unable to run traditional endpoint security—and there is no definitive ruling on who has responsibility to enforce this security and who is liable when a vulnerability is exploited.”
How Can You Protect Your IoT Network?
As more and more devices become interconnected, the world will be collecting more and more big data. AdaptiveMobile suggests protecting that data with a new security architecture named “big security.” This “big security” concept will use telemetry, security algorithms and the big data it is designed to protect to secure billions of devices that will enter the realm of the IoT.
“We need to be able to detect threats at scale—using a combination of lightweight telemetry and anomaly detection to give early indicators of compromise—and then enforce protection at scale,” said Bradley. “Not only are consumer devices at risk but automotive and industrial categories need to ensure security is a critical consideration. We do not believe this will be solved through current approaches to security, particularly when it comes to legacy systems.”
The way the current IoT industry operates will need a shift of thinking given the number of devices being released and the frequency of hackers exploiting these open doors. As the problem exacerbates itself, the cost to solve the problem will inevitable grow.
As a result, IoT platform developers and device manufacturers need to make security their top priority in order to ensure the cost of IoT devices stays low.
AdaptiveMobile suggests that one potential solution is its own Network Protection Platform 6 (NPP6) security platform. This software aims to use data science algorithms, machine learning and anomaly detection algorithms to detect security risks independent of the device, operating system, or user expertise.
IoT Devices Aren’t Secure but Governments Don’t Seem To Care
What is curious is how current events in the American political scene seem to ignore, disregard or simply not understand the implications of these potential data breaches.
In fact, there is currently a movement in the US trying to strong-arm Apple into creating a backdoor into its cellphone security in order to access a work phone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters.
Warrants, politics and the War on Terror aside—by creating this backdoor, politicians will only succeed in making the threats of cyberterrorism that much easier.
What are your thoughts on cybersecurity on the IoT? Should Apple open the flood gate? What security measures do you use in your IoT product designs? Comment below.