Strategic Approach to IoT Security Challenges

By CIOReview | Thursday, June 7, 2018

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Today’s digital transformation most importantly includes IoT, which comes with equal risks as much as the benefits it delivers. What is to be considered is the storage of data in several locations, within apps and servers where all the data is stored and processes. Also, the communication of data and the control of the connected devices are to be noted.

Like any other technologies, IoT brings in unique challenges—like confusion over standards, policy and governance, and global skill gap in cybersecurity adding to the issues businesses have in integrating IoT within their organization, and the added cost of security.

Breaches will happen. It’s not enough to just lock your systems down knowing that a lot of your business data is in the hands of other organizations, out of your IT department’s control. Alongside your network, every node, device, and touchpoint on that network could be a potential access point.

The Internet of Things Security Foundation presents the below questions to consider while assessing your network’s security requirements.

• Should the data be private?
• Should the data be trusted?
• Is the safe and/or timely arrival of data important?
• Is it necessary to restrict access to the device?
• Is it necessary to update the software on the device?
• Will ownership of the device need to be managed or transferred in a secure manner?
• Does the data need to be audited?

It would almost be impossible to predict the potential threats organizations could face in the coming years, given the rate at which technology is advancing. An IoT needs regular maintenance like the rest of the IoT infrastructure—like ensuring that the network devices are kept up to date and in fully working order.

With newer opportunities and threats which will change the landscape, you need to stay on top of security, ensuring yours and your customers’ data remains secure; keeping your devices under control plays an important role going forward. It’s high time that businesses start taking a strategic approach to IoT security.