The challenge of managing and securing IoT devices in the enterprise [Q&A]
Internet of Things devices are making their way into more and more areas of our lives. But while they offer many benefits they also present businesses with a problem when it comes to managing and securing them.
An ever widening range of devices now have connectivity that may be off the radar of company IT and cybersecurity teams. We spoke to Roy Dagan, CEO of SecuriThings, to discuss the issue and how enterprises can tackle it.
6 IoT trends for 2022
The Internet of Things (IoT) has seen incredible growth in a relatively short period. Despite being fairly new, smart devices are everywhere in commercial and consumer circles, and they show no signs of stopping.
While the IoT’s growth may remain unchanged in 2022, it will shift and evolve. Here are six trends that will shape the IoT this year.
The Smart Hospitals of tomorrow need smarter software
The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting fourth-generation technologies being adopted today. It is certainly the most useful -- and not just for your Roomba or Alexa devices. Perhaps the most promising uses for this tech is healthcare, or as technobabble labels it, 'Smart Hospitals'. If paired with the right sensors and digital workflow tools, IoT will have a revolutionary impact on modern healthcare.
A shining example of what the hospital of tomorrow may look like is the Humber River Valley Hospital in Canada. It is arguably one of the best examples we have of a truly interconnected, digital hospital. For example, it has a fully online appointment schedule, a digital check-in, electronic path lab test ordering and results, an automatic Managed Equipment Service, a RIVA Chemotherapy Robot, and Automated Pharmacy Systems (with three-quarters of the hospital supply chain totally automated).
Maintaining visibility through the growth of IoT
Data traffic rates over network backbones have increased significantly over the past several years. Fueled by the increasing demand of Internet of things (IoT) devices which continue to be more readily integrated with our daily lives, both domestically and commercially, the average annual volume of data/ information created has almost doubled over the past two years, from 41 zettabytes in 2019 to 79 zettabytes in 2021, with a forecast of growth to 181 zettabytes by 2025 (Statista, 2021).
Over the previous 18 months, this data rate has been driven further by the move to working from home (WFH) where people are using more digital technology, as well as purchasing new IoT devices to help make their WFH life more comfortable.
Enabling an intelligent planet through IoT automation
Automation made possible by the Internet of Things (IoT) provides the framework and infrastructure necessary for the creation of an intelligent planet. Technologies such as smart sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and edge computing are enabling advances in many diverse industries and areas of modern society. These technologies and the systems they produce promise to transform the way we live and work as the 21st century progresses.
We are going to look at what constitutes an intelligent planet, where the world stands in its development and how the technology that drives and fuels an intelligent planet will evolve in the near future.
Why a safer future depends on protecting IoT devices [Q&A]
There's been a huge proliferation of Internet of Things devices in recent years, but along with this has come a whole range of new security and privacy concerns.
How are IoT devices secured -- if they are at all -- and what are they doing with our data? We spoke to Rob Shavell, co-founder and CEO of Aine/DeleteMe to talk about security gaps, privacy concerns and more.
Connected device industry faces severe skills shortage
Demand for connected devices is causing a severe developer skills shortage and a crisis in wellbeing as developers come under increasing pressure.
New research for the Qt Company, carried out by Forrester Consulting, finds 75 percent of connected device manufacturers say that demand is outstripping supply. At the same time 65 percent are worried about the wellbeing of their developers.
SmartThings updates its home automation app to make it faster and easier to use
Home automation is settling into its place in the world, with more and more people embracing it. Predictions have the home automation market hitting 350 million users by 2023.
Most people start simple with lightbulbs that can be controlled remotely, or a security camera or a water leak sensor to notify you of an emergency wherever you are. Some items can even be controlled by voice through a third-party service like Alexa. The big thing, especially for new users, is ease of setup and use.
Nearly half of IoT projects don't test for software security
Despite the fact that third party code in IoT projects has grown 17 percent in the past five years, only 56 percent of OEMs have formal policies for testing security.
A report from security testing and software research company GrammaTech, based on findings from a VDC Research survey, reveals that this is despite 73.6 percent of respondents saying security is important, very important or critical.
The role of IoT and data in keeping us safe and boosting the economy
With the UK going into its first financial recession since 2009 as a consequence of COVID-19, many businesses are struggling to stay alive in the current business climate. The economy has shrunk by 20.4 percent compared with the first three months of 2020 following months of businesses being forced to stay shut, furloughed workforces and a reduction in consumer expenditure. Additional restrictions in place at the time of writing are ratcheting up the financial pressure on multiple industries, with the prospect of a ‘double-dip’ recession an increasing prospect.
Without the right technology and continuity processes in place, many organizations were unable to adapt their models quickly enough to survive when they needed to. Now it’s a wake-up call to get the right solutions implemented to ride the waves of any future economic storms that come their way. COVID-19 has accelerated the need to work collaboratively and stay connected to protect both society and the economy.
Exposed IoT devices put enterprises at risk
Although they are intended to make our lives simpler, the proliferation of connected devices has thrown up new headaches and risks.
New research from RiskRecon and the Cyentia Institute has looked at exposed IoT devices within a dataset of 35,000 organizations and explores the related security problems.
CybelAngel helps uncover hidden risks from shadow IT
Digital risk protection platform CybelAngel has updated its offering to include asset discovery and monitoring in order to help businesses identify hidden risks.
It can uncover hidden, rogue or obscure devices and services existing outside of the security team's awareness and control. These shadow assets include file servers, cloud databases, connected industrial systems and IoT devices.
Practical tips and advice for personal IoT security
The consumer Internet of Things (IoT) has exploded into the connected world, making domestic life richer, easier and more entertaining. Consumer IoT comprises a set of connected devices that have a discrete function, enabled or supplemented by a data-gathering capability through on-board sensors. In any home or office environment an individual may come into contact with 'smart' appliances or devices such as coffee machines, cameras, heating systems, locks, lights, health trackers, refrigerators and TV’s, to name a few.
Criticism of IoT security, or lack-thereof, has highlighted serious deficiencies in both design and implementation of IoT devices. Unfortunately, consumers are critically dependent on device manufacturers for the security of their devices. With a rushed and greater rate of adoption, a number of risks have been introduced, attracting close attention from threat actors aiming to steal valuable information and disrupt services. However, all hope is not lost -- at a consumer level, there are still a few basic techniques that can be used to protect IoT devices from attacks.
UK government launches fund to boost smart device security
It's estimated that there could be as many as 75 billion connected devices worldwide by 2025, but the increased popularity of 'smart' equipment comes with risk as many products currently on sale lack basic cybersecurity.
In response to this threat the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is launching a £400,000 ($490,000) fund for innovators to design schemes to boost the security of internet-connected products.
IoT: With great convenience comes even greater risk
IoT devices are skyrocketing in popularity -- almost everything can connect to the internet these days. You may have some of these in your home or business and not even realize it. Smart bulbs that sync with home management apps, IP camera systems, weather displays on smart refrigerators, smart thermostat -- basically all of the devices you would not expect to have an internet connection that do. This is highlighted further by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic now that the workforce is 100 percent remote and IT teams had to quickly enable remote work, all while ensuring security.
IoT devices make our lives a little easier and more convenient, but they come at a price as they provide new attack vectors for savvy cyber attackers. Gartner forecasts that there will be over 20.4 billion connected IoT devices in 2020, giving those attackers a lot of targets to choose from. On top of that, recent research indicated that IoT device hacks have increased by 300 percent, furthering the point that unprepared home network devices are easy targets for cybercriminals.
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