Articles about Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking the world by storm as interconnected devices fill workplaces and homes across the US. While the intention of these devices is always to make our lives easier, their ability to connect to the internet turns them into ticking time bombs, lying in wait until their weaknesses can be exploited by opportunistic hackers.

Personal data breaches are skyrocketing in America, increasing by 60% in the last year and by 157 percent since 2015. As our interconnectivity grows, so do the opportunities that our technology will be hacked. Since every IoT device is connected to the internet, each one is vulnerable to external access if not secured properly. In the rush to manufacture these devices and get them onto the market, security has been an afterthought which needs to be urgently addressed if the number of yearly data breaches is to be tackled.

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The Internet of Things (IoT) industry is growing rapidly with the number of IoT-connected devices projected to surpass 20 billion by 2020. It’s an amazing number, but a number that wouldn’t be possible without the concurrent growth and availability of WiFi and cellular. However, even with all this growth, industry leaders don’t believe existing WiFi and cellular capabilities can keep up with IoT’s trajectory.

Thankfully, a little innovation called 5G is on the way. Offering the technological boost needed to sustain this growth, the imminent arrival of 5G presents valuable opportunities for IoT. Let’s take a look at where IoT is today, and what the future holds. 

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Ever since I installed one of those wireless "home automation kits," my house has been acting like it’s possessed. My lights dim randomly. My thermostat changes temperature settings on its own. And my digital door lock keeps "forgetting" I live here, prompting me to fumble for my keys (it always seems to be raining when this happens).

Just yesterday I came home to find my so-called "Smart TV" had somehow turned itself on and was streaming some weird foreign language content (the source it chose was "RT" -- or something like that). I changed the channel to "CNN" and went to the kitchen to make a snack. However, just as I began slicing open a fresh baguette, I heard that same foreign language stream playing. I then rushed back to the living room only to find the TV still tuned to "CNN."

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Securing Internet of Things devices is an ongoing problem for businesses, developers often have to sift through a raft of unorganized and disparate information to find the IoT security solution that works best for them.

Identity and security specialist GlobalSign is launching an IoT developer program designed specifically to assist developers with device identity integrations that strengthen security operations for IoT and industrial IoT (IIoT) ecosystems.

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Market data firm Statista projects that by 2025, there will be 75 billion IoT devices in use. Smart devices are now found throughout most commercial offices, yet a lack of security could make them ticking time bombs. IoT devices often come with security shortcomings, and it can be difficult to detect when someone has exploited one of their vulnerabilities.

Why are IoT devices dangerous? It's not a single issue; rather, it's intrinsic to the way that the technology itself works.

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In the past managing IP addresses has been relatively easy, but with the rapid growth in connected devices, and lots more addresses becoming available under IPv6, it's set to become a whole lot more complex.

Traffic management company NS1 is launching a solution to the problem with its Enterprise DDI (combining DNS, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and IP address management).

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The UK government is looking to ensure the security of the Internet of Things as they become more prevalent in the home, possibly through the use of legislation.

The government says that it wants IoT devices to be secure by design and, having already published a code of practice paper, is now embarking on a five-week security consultation during which the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will consider regulatory proposals.

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The proliferation of healthcare Internet-of-things devices, along with unpartitioned networks, insufficient access controls and the reliance on legacy systems, has exposed a vulnerable attack surface that can be exploited by cybercriminals, according to a new report.

The study by network threat detection specialist Vectra also shows gaps in policies and procedures can result in errors by healthcare staff members.

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A new survey of IoT developers reveals their top concerns are security (38 percent of respondents), connectivity (21 percent), and data collection and analysis (19 percent).

Performance (18 percent), privacy (18 percent), and standards (16 percent) are also areas cited as particularly challenging. These findings come from The Eclipse Foundation which has surveyed more than 1,700 developers via its IoT Working Group.

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Internet of Things devices have proved to be problematic in their vulnerability to cyber attacks. This is underlined by a new report from F-Secure which finds that threats and the number of attacks continue to increase, but still depend on well-known security weaknesses, such as unpatched software and weak passwords.

The number of IoT threats observed by F-Secure Labs doubled in 2018, growing from 19 to 38 in the space of a single year.

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The line between information technology and operational technology is an increasingly blurred one. As companies drive towards digital transformation so OT environments increasingly interconnect with IT, resulting in a complex, sensitive and vastly expanded attack surface.

This means OT security responsibility is often moving to to the CISO. Yet traditional IT security solutions lack the ability to continuously discover and assess sensitive OT assets.

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Google has announced that it is dramatically narrowing the focus of Android Things, originally conceived as the company's wide-ranging IoT platform.

Now rather than being an OEM tool that can be used to produce just about anything for the Internet of Things, Android Things will instead be focused on just two product lines: smart speakers and smart displays.

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Internet of Things devices are appearing in more and more companies, but with them comes the threat of cyberattacks.

To reduce this risk Extreme Networks is launching a simple security solution to help organizations protect unsecured IoT devices.

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You cannot miss the signs of technological advancement in travel today. From mobile ticketing to biometric scanning at amusement parks, today’s business trips and family vacations look vastly different than in years past. Innovation has come just in time for the crowds -- Expedia Group reported a 40 percent increase in the number of people traveling for business and leisure since 2016, and this number is on track to grow in the coming years.

Behind the scenes, one of the quiet workhorses of hospitality innovation has been the Internet of Things (IoT). Broad and flexible IoT coverage has already enabled major changes in the traveler experience and the hospitality industry, through innovations such as luggage tracking to parking and trash management. Largely in part to communication networks that enable the travel industry to implement a variety of innovative solutions, cheaply.

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The biggest mistake often made in building an IoT network for the first time is in underestimating the complexity of IoT network design, operation and management -- and believing that legacy network technologies and engagement models will support the requirements of large-scale IoT deployments.

Building an IoT network is not as easy as it sounds and the process of building your own tends to break down when confronted with massive scale. What may seem to be an easy task of deploying gateways and managing device provisioning and connectivity quickly becomes challenging with respect to scaled site and network operations. Some may also find challenges with sourcing and qualifying end devices for their applications, device configuration and management, implementing encryption and security services, and ultimately generating contextualized data for their use cases. Taking the following four steps to develop your IoT network buildout is essential.

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