Welcome to our blog post on IoT security challenges! We have a lot of exciting stuff about IOT security that we would love to share with you.
In today’s interconnected world, the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has brought about a new set of security concerns. With more devices connected to the internet, the risk of cyber threats and data breaches has increased exponentially.
Imagine the devastating consequences of a hacker gaining unauthorized access to your IoT devices. That means invasion of your privacy. Access and stealing of your personal information and even a possible compromise on your physical safety. The fear and uncertainty surrounding IoT security can be overwhelming.
In this blog post, we will be discussing important aspects of IOT security and how you can make the best of it.
What Can We Do for You?
We can help you to protect your connected world using advanced IoT security solutions. Also, we provide comprehensive protection against cyber threats. We help to shield your IoT devices from unauthorized access.
With our cutting-edge technology and expertise in cybersecurity, we can help to adequately safeguard your data and privacy.
Why is IoT Security and Why is it so Important?
IoT security involves procedures and processes that properly maintain your IoT systems as well as keeping them secure. The security is majorly from threats and attacks.
Using reliable IoT security technologies can help patch IOT vulnerabilities as well as identify and monitor risks, threats, and security breaches. For the sake of trust from your customers and users, it is in your IoT solution’s availability, reliability, and confidentiality that your IoT security becomes guaranteed.
Why is IoT Security so Crucial?
Now that you have an idea of IOT security, why is IoT security so crucial?
IoT solutions offer significant data and insights that will improve the way we work and live. That is why from enhancing the safety of roads, automobiles, and houses to fundamentally altering the way we produce and consume things, IOT technologies are playing leading roles.
However, the success of the performances of these IoT systems and data hinges on protecting their integrity and confidentiality while reducing cybersecurity threats.
Agreeing with this, Checkpoint posits that, “Securing the company against cyber threats requires securing all devices connected to the corporate network. IoT security is a vital component of a corporate cybersecurity strategy because it limits the risks posed by these insecure, networked devices.”
This is exactly why IOT security is very important for individuals and businesses.
3 Types of IOT Security
According to Checkpoint, there are three types of IOT security, namely, network IOT security, Embedded IoT security and Firmware IOT security.
Network IOT security:
In the network type of IOT security, users must safeguard their equipment against unauthorised access and potential exploitation in order to maintain network security. The Zero-trust security strategy is usually deployed by IoT network security experts to reduce corporate attack vulnerabilities.
Embedded IOT Security
In the embedded IOT security type, Nano agents are embedded in IoT devices to enable on-device security functions. This security type uses runtime protection to keep an eye on the device’s present security condition and reacts to irregularities to spot and stop attacks.
Firmware Assessment
The third IOT security type is the firmware assessment. This requires IOT users to secure their firmware and the very first step in securing firmware on an IoT device is to analyse evaluate the vulnerability level of the firmware. Evaluating vulnerabilities or weaknesses helps IOT security experts to identify potential security loopholes in the firmware of IoT devices.
Industrial IoT Security Challenges: What Should You Do?
The use of industrial IoT technology has greatly benefited businesses in the manufacturing industry in several ways. Since the increase of IOT adoptions and implementations have been on the rise, a lot of manufacturing industries are keying into the benefits and using the tools to overcome many challenges.
A typical example is with IOT for predictive maintenance which allows the use of IOT smart technologies like machine learning to collect and analyse vast amount of data and use the insights to help manufacturers make informed decisions. With predictive analysis, a business may be automatically informed on potential machine and system malfunctions or breakdowns, hence allowing management to quickly fix the issues before they lead to downtime of operations.
Despite the obvious tangible benefits of more Industrial IOT, there are some IOT security challenges that you must look out for and be very careful about before they wreck your business and put you in some big troubles with authorities.
IOT security is currently a trending issue, as a result, manufactures and organisations who are exploring the benefits of the technology are seeking for the best ways to ensure that they have enhanced IOT security for their systems and connections. According to current market conditions, Gartner’s prediction that more than 50% of IoT device manufacturers would be unable to solve weak authentication practises by 2018 and beyond appears to be accurate.
Easy Steps to Addressing IOT Security Challenges
IOT manufacturers can address issues related to IOT security by taking some important actions. These may include but not limited to, making conscious efforts to understand different cyber security trends and their roles in offering optimal IOT security for enhanced protection and securing consumer apps.
Manufacturers may also prevent IOT security attacks by ensuring they do all the necessary things to identify and fix any existing security loopholes in their systems, connectivity and networks.
IOT manufacturers as bracing up on the security aspects of the tools. The manufacturers can enhance their IOT security by ensuring that they only buy IOT tools from manufacturers and distributors who understand the need for secure systems and integrate enhanced security systems into their IOT products.
IoT Security Challenges and Vulnerabilities: What Can IOT Manufacturers Do to Help?
Strictly Adhere to Software Development Lifecycles
One of the biggest issues with IOT security is when legacy software is not properly maintained on Industrial IoT systems. Testing old software is a difficulty, but Industrial IoT devices and related software must be put to undergo rigorous testing over their entire software development lifecycles. Unit, system, acceptance, regression, threat modelling, as well as maintaining an inventory of the source for any third-party/open-source code and components used, should all be core parts of the testing methodologies.
Encryption
Compliance with encryption standards is another important duty for an Industrial IoT deployment team if they want to ensure that IOT security is improved from their end. Any device using the system must follow commonly established cryptographic methods for all communications. In the coming years, the amount of private information being exchanged on the internet will only increase, this only shows how paying attention to IoT data protection, through encryption, is one of the most important privacy precautions that needs to be carefully observed to improve and address IOT security challenges.
Modules for Risk Assessment
It becomes more difficult for IT professionals to pinpoint risks when more devices join to a shared network and this is an IOT security challenge. Industrial IoT implementation teams must create modules that specify all the digital and physical assets that require security, as suggested by IOT security experts. Additionally, they must improve the data collection on prospective risks.
Hardware Reliability
When developing an Industrial IoT system, manufacturers should perform a careful consideration on the configuration of hardware components because this area is largely unregulated. For example, they should limit access to endpoint security, or denying unauthorised access to users who make unauthorised changes to the hardware, will improve IOT security and reduce the vulnerabilities of the technologies.
Best Practices for Overcoing IOT Securing Challenges
Putting Robust Authentication Mechanisms into Practise
It is best practice to guarantee that only authorised users have access to IoT devices, strong authentication solutions like two-factor authentication and biometrics are necessary. Businesses may considerably reduce the risk of unauthorised access and data breaches by employing secure authentication systems. This is one of the IOT security best practices and when properly observed, it will help in boosting the security aspect of the technology solutions.
Protecting Data in Transit and at Rest with Encryption
Another best IoT practice is to protect the privacy and accuracy of IoT data, it is essential to encrypt it both in transit and at rest. Sensitive information is protected from interception and unauthorised access by robust encryption methods and protocols. Users’ privacy is protected, as is the IoT ecosystem as a whole.
Security Updates regularly and Patch Management
Furthermore, the IOT security best practices extends to addressing IOT vulnerabilities and decrease risks by knowing the need, and actually, performing frequent patch management and security updates.
This means that manufacturers must ensure that IoT devices include features for automatic, seamless updates to quickly address security issues as they are identified.
Network Segmentation
Network segmentation is yet another IOT security best practices to observe for improved security. It involves processes of creating different segments or subnetworks inside an IoT ecosystem, each with their own security protocols and access controls.
With this in place, the possible consequences of a IOT security compromise is reduced. Even when there is a comprise in security on a segment, it cannot easily spread to other areas because of the set-up in segments.
Intrusion Detection and Continuous Monitoring Systems
As an IOT security best practice, we cannot forget to mention the importance of intrusion detection and continuous monitoring systems for real-time detection and reaction to potential IOT security challenges. It is indeed a very critical approach to implement effective monitoring systems and intrusion detection technologies to boost the security measures of the tech. Through proactive detection of suspicious activity from ongoing monitoring, incident response and mitigation actions can be taken right away.
IoT Security Emerging Trends for 2023
There are several IOT security trends to watch out for, if you are an industrial IOT expert, or an IOT manufacturer and even an IOT user in your business. Understanding the importance of these trends will help you in improving your IOT security.
Let us look at a few;
Artificial Intelligence for Detecting and Responding to IoT Security Challenges
Remember the concept of IOT and other technology convergence for secure and enhanced functionalities? Well, the use of Artificial Intelligence with IOT systems is great for IOT security improvement. IoT security can enhanced by the use of AI technology for improved threat detection and response capabilities. This is majorly why systems with AI can analyse enormous volumes of data, find trends, and spot abnormalities that could point to security flaws. Since AI algorithms are able to learn and change as they swiftly put out an efficient response to new threats, IoT security solutions are effective.
Designing Technology for Security
Designing technologies for improved security is another reliable IOT security trend of 2023 and beyond to look out for. There have been a lot of uproar for IOT manufacturers to approach IOT security issues from the development stages, therefore, they must endeavour to design their tech devices for optimal security. Integrating different aspects of security considerations from the beginning of the creation of an IoT device is what many security experts refer to as “security by design.” By including security features and standards from the very beginning of a product, businesses can limit the security risks. When this is applied to IOT manufacturing, it can reduce IOT vulnerabilities since it will in some ways, guarantee that security is a key component of the device’s functionality and design.
Standards for the Industry and Collective Efforts
Every industry has its standards, and that of IOT security and development has been trendy for a while and it will continue to trend until we get it right and have very minimal IOT vulnerability issues to deal with. To achieve this, we need strong collaboration. We need collaboration amongst various stakeholders, including enterprises, governments, and cybersecurity professionals, to address the complex issues relating to IoT security. Yes! Building a secure and robust IoT ecosystem requires setting industry standards, exchanging best practises, and encouraging collaboration.
Blockchain Technology for Increasing Transparency and Trust
Blockchain technology has garnered popularity as a potential means of improving security, trust, and transparency in IoT deployments. With the new technology, many businesses can now guarantee the integrity of IoT data. Additionally, blockchain technology creates trustworthy and open interactions as well as transactions within the ecosystem. It has been a step forward, towards reducing IOT vulnerabilities.
Hardware-based Security for IOT Devices
Another IOT security trend to look out for beside blockchain technology is the hardware-based security system. Hardware based security are providing an extra layer of security solutions which are fantastically tapped by IoT devices. These remedies consist of trusted platform modules (TPMs), secure elements, and hardware security modules (HSMs) which all combine to promoting secure communication, device authentication, and even data protection.
Which Industries Need IoT Security?
As it stands, we would say that every industry needs IOT security as long as they use IOT technologies to scale their businesses. And which industry can’t use IOT? We have not seen.
When it comes to IoT security concerns, they are present across all organisations and industries due to the widespread deployment of IoT devices. However, some businesses can be more open to attack and need to take IoT security best practises very seriously.
Some examples of industries that need IOT security Include but not limited to,
Large Businesses and Small Businesses:
Large businesses and small businesses require IOT security. However, the large businesses will frequently have more need for it the most. This is largely because they would always deal with vast amount of data and go through more complicated networks. Using insecure or IOT vulnerably devices and networks can be very dangerous for these businesses. IoT security solutions can help with this anyways.
Industrias
IOT systems are becoming more and more entwined with corporate networks and are crucial to various industries and their operational procedures. Since they deal with lots of data on a daily basis, cyberattacks on their IOT systems may reduce productivity or, in the worst-case scenario, ruin the physical infrastructure of their business. They therefore, require IOT security for lot of reasons including IOT data security measures for data protection.
Healthcare
IoT technology drives the healthcare industry. It plays a major role because the industry requires private handling of its data. IOT security deployment in the sector is crucial.
For example, as healthcare practitioners use networked scanners, monitoring tools, wearable gadgets, and other network-connected equipment for patient care, the Medical Internet of Things is expanding quickly and many individual data are exchanged which needs top priority safety.
Also, recently, because recently, healthcare providers are significant targets for cyber threat actors, they need IOT security to stay safe.
Manufacturers of Devices:
IoT device manufacturers must make sure the following; that their solutions satisfy customer business and meet the security, data protection and privacy regulatory needs.
The IoT experts and community are pushing for manufacturers to take security issues more seriously. Their focus is on the need to consider integrating security from the manufacturing stages. This is mostly because there are many IoT devices without strong security firmware or hardware. This leaves them open to attacks and lost, compromise or destruction of sensitive data.
Thank you for reading our blog post on IOT security. We hope you have learnt one or two important aspects of IOT vulnerabilities and that the information would be helpful to you in making sure you get the best IOT security for your business.
If you need any help with your IOT and IOT security set, we can help you. Reach out to us now.
