From self-driving cars that detect objects ahead to smart microwaves that cook your food at the specified time. IoT is already impacting our lives as we speak. But do you know what the internet of things really means? Internet of things refers to a network of devices, vehicles, and home appliances that are connected to the internet and other devices. Simply put, IoT entails extending internet connectivity beyond devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets, to other non-internet enabled devices. However, when IoT devices are connected to the internet, it presents a lot of security challenges. The infamous Dyn Cyberattack in 2016 was a proof that IoT devices are prone to cyber attacks. If the necessary security measures are not followed, any attack to your IoT network can bring your business down to its knees, leading to a loss in revenue and brand loyalty.
IoT security checklist
According to a survey done by Eclipse IoT Working Group, security remains the topmost worry for the internet of things developers. With recent reports showing that 70% of IoT devices are susceptible to cyber attack, the million dollar question is how can you secure your IoT device? By following the IoT security checklist discussed below, it can help protect your IoT device from cyber attacks. A good option is also to use Hidester, a top-software that can protect your personal datas.
Authorization and authentication
With more and more devices entering the IoT network, it provides many points of failure that can be exploited by cybercriminals. Authorization and authentication is the best way to mitigate this internet of things security challenge. These two keywords will limit access in multiple user devices, and reduce the effects in case security of one IoT device is compromised. Usually, devices are supposed to establish their identity before they are allowed to access apps and upstream services. Unfortunately, there are many IoT devices that use weak password authentication thus failing to secure the device. Using IoT platforms that involve authentication and authorization can help fight this problem.
Data privacy and protection
It is paramount that data be processed and stored securely after it is transmitted within the IoT network. Data privacy entails anonymizing private data before storing it. If there is data which is no longer needed, it should be securely disposed of. Data protection involves limiting the number of data that is collected by all IoT devices so that security breaches are minimized. Storing unnecessary consumer data increases the chances of the data being exposed to third-parties.
Managing device updates
One of the most effective ways to keep cybercriminals at bay is by applying security updates to your IoT device regularly. However, it remains a challenge to track the latest updates available and apply them consistently. Not all IoT devices support over the air updates. Therefore, you may need to temporarily pull down the device so that you can manually apply the updates. With the device manager systems, you can automatically update your IoT device.
Device life cycle
Security measures need to be considered from the start of the device’s lifecycle. Make sure that security considerations are embedded into the functionality and design of the IoT device. In addition, the device’s lifecycle should be monitored in all organizations. That is, past employees should not be able to access the device’s current data. A strong IoT security compliance framework should be able to monitor users that can access certain devices.
Conclusion
In case IoT devices are used for web data, don’t forget to use HTTPs protocol and SSL layer. IoT security doesn’t have to be a headache for organizations using IoT systems. By following the above IoT security checklist, you can secure your data, IoT device, and cloud-based IoT services and apps.
