IT security pros expect a rise in Industrial Internet of Things attacks
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is used in many businesses, including critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, utilities, government, healthcare and finance. No surprise then that it's a likely target for attack.
A new survey from security and compliance specialist Tripwire of more than 400 IT security professionals shows that 96 percent expect to see an increase in security attacks on the IIoT in 2017.
How IoT will impact the data center industry in 2017
The IoT (Internet of Things), is a network of devices connected to the Internet that gathers and transmits data. The ubiquitous adoption of smartphones, and the ability to connect to anyone, anywhere at any time, will have quite the impact on the data center industry in 2017. It is anticipated that more than 24 billion IoT devices will exist worldwide by 2020. These devices include everything from smartphones, to cars, to refrigerators. This increasing amount of data that is being produced by both consumers and providers will not only change our applications and devices, but also how data centers operate.
Below are three ways in which the IoT revolution will impact the data center industry in 2017:
Hidden backdoor discovered in Chinese IoT devices
Researchers at Trustwave have uncovered a backdoor in IoT devices from a Chinese manufacturer that could leave them open to exploitation.
The backdoor is present in almost all devices produced by VoIP specialist DBLTek, and appears to have been purposely built in for use by the vendor.
ITU drafts 5G specs: 20Gbps downloads, 4ms latency per cell
According to the latest draft report from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) published on Thursday, the upcoming 5G standard must support one million connected devices per square kilometer and each single 5G cell will be required to have a total download capacity of 20Gbps.
Although the report is currently a draft, it is likely that the technical requirements for 5G will be approved this November. At that time, telecoms and chipset manufacturers can truly begin building the necessary technologies to power their 5G networks and devices. 5G will require at least 10Gbps uplink per each single cell.
IoT headed for mass adoption by 2019
The Internet of Things will have been adopted by 85 percent of businesses by 2019 according to a new global study.
The report from Aruba Networks shows that there are clear business benefits from IoT investments despite the fact that they can lead to additional risk.
IBM and Visa want your IoT devices to double as point of sale terminals
IBM and Visa want every Internet-connected device you own to be its own point of sale. The two companies announced the industry’s first collaboration to achieve this, through IBM’s Watson for IoT platform and Visa’s token technology.
Visa is currently powering 60 percent of the entire world’s payments and IBM’s Watson really needs no particular introduction.
Lack of IoT security could be our downfall
Just as healthcare providers need PALS certification to keep up with new discoveries and advancements in medicine, individuals who work in IT need to become recertified with data security measures. One particular area in need of improved security protocols is The Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is quickly becoming more and more popular and therefore more and more vulnerable.
IoT allows users to connect several devices to the internet and to each other. That includes more than just cell phones but anything from coffee makers to lamps to alarm systems. It has influenced various industries to incorporate internet capabilities into their products, taking everyday objects and allowing them to send and receive data. With these changes in the technology industry, the IoT is quickly rising to becoming the "next big thing" in the IT industry. However, there are still several problems that make the IoT risky unless they are examined and improved. Here is our list of both the potential of IoT to improve and hinder consumer lives.
2016's top malware threats show a shift in attack patterns
The methodology of malware and cyber attacks has shown a significant shift in 2016, according to the State of Malware report from Malwarebytes.
Although ransomware is the favorite attack method used against business, ad fraud malware is growing fast and poses a substantial threat to both consumers and businesses.
The future of home technology
Technology tends to creep up on us and before we know it is an essential part of our lives. In the home we're already seeing increasing numbers of smart devices like thermostats and light bulbs, but what else is on the horizon?
Electronics company RS Components has produced an interactive graphic showing some of the things we can look forward too.
Google Home gains Belkin WeMo support
As the proud owner of an Amazon Echo (and Echo Dot), I often like to show it off. My favorite demonstration is using the internet-connected voice assistant to control a lamp in my home. Like a giddy kid, I tell guests to prepare to witness magic. Then, I say "Alexa, turn on the lamp." Guess what happens? The lamp turns on! This is thanks to Alexa's connection with my Belkin WeMo outlet device. Guests are seemingly never as impressed as I am, but I digress.
If you also own Belkin WeMo devices, but opted instead for a Google Home rather than Amazon Echo, you were out of luck. Today this changes, however, as the search-giant's voice assistant can now control WeMo home devices. This includes Wemo Mini, Wemo Switch, Wemo Insight Switch, and Wemo Light Switch.
Businesses not prepared for the risk from mobile and IoT apps
Despite widespread concern about the security of mobile and IoT applications, organizations are ill-prepared for the risks they pose, according to new research.
The study from threat prevention company Arxan Technologies, IBM Security and the Ponemon Institute reveals that 60 percent of respondents believe it’s either certain or likely their organization has experienced a material data breach or cyber attack over the past 12 months that was caused by an insecure mobile app.
People, not technology, drive innovation
Anyone who has worked in the technology industry for a long time will develop a healthy cynicism towards industry buzzwords. They may also come to realize that the majority of technology "paradigms" are adaptations of concepts that have been done before. Digital disruption is not the automatic result of the arrival of new types of tech. Disruption, transformation, innovation -- call it what you will -- comes about as a result of human ingenuity, good fortune, and hard work -- in addition to technology.
Take Pokémon Go as an example. Plenty of analysis has been done on why it was so successful. Nothing about it was particularly radical; the smartphone, mapping, GPS, AR and, of course, the Pokémon themselves are not new. However the combination of these things tapped into a desire for nostalgia, collectables, and the need to complete and compete. Originally developed as an April Fool’s joke, it was, by all accounts, a highly successful mistake.
Cyberattacks against IoT devices tripled in 2016
It only takes one successful cyber-attack to seriously hurt a company, so it’s shocking to see that UK businesses suffered, on average, almost 230,000 cyber-attacks in 2016.
This is according to Beaming. The ISP says a third of attacks was targeting company databases, but two thirds were, in fact, attacking connected devices, such as security cameras or building control systems. Such devices can be controlled remotely, through the internet.
Security and the Internet of Things [Q&A]
Last year saw the Mirai botnet harness routers and other IoT devices to launch DDoS attacks against internet services.
Is this type of attack something we’re going to see more of in 2017, and what can companies and individuals do to protect themselves? We spoke to Sam Rehman, chief technology officer at attack prevention specialist Arxan Technologies to find out more about security and the Internet of Things.
US Federal Trade Commission sues D-Link for having terrible security
D-Link is facing a lawsuit brought against it by the US Federal Trade Commission for the poor security of its routers and connected cameras. The FTC says the company failed to take reasonable steps to protect users from hackers.
The FTC is seeking to improve the security of all IoT (internet of things) devices in the wake of compromised devices being used to launch high-profile DDoS attacks such as Marai and Leet Botnet. D-Link argues that the charges brought against it are "unwarranted and baseless" and plans to "vigorously defend itself".
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