How Security Analytics Will Define the Success of the Internet of Things
Currently, there are approximately 10 billion connected devices, with the number reaching 20 billion in 2020, 29 billion — 42 billion in 2022 and 75 billion in 2025. By 2030, we will have over 100 trillion connected sensors. In 2035, the prediction is that we will interact with a connected device every 18 seconds, or 4800 times a day. Whether these numbers are correct or not, the fact is that the number of connected devices will increase exponentially in the coming years.
While this market is growing rapidly, it faces a major barrier on the way to its success. Connected devices are vulnerable, as seen in the DDoS attack on October 21st, 2016, which took down the DNS provider Dyn. Large websites such as Etsy, Twitter, PayPal, Verizon, Comcast and Reddit were among the many that were virtually unusable during this attack. The hackers turned to unsecured IoT devices to create an extensive botnet. This allowed them to push enough traffic to take down Dyn. It was the largest attack caused by IoT security issues, but it certainly was not the first. The IoT market needs to find a way to properly secure these devices. Otherwise, more high-profile attacks completely negate the benefits of having connected technology in your organisation. It is time to bring in security analytics.
IoT devices add countless potential attack surfaces to an organisation. Even if you have an official policy, people will bring in their own technology. They will connect to your network and have the potential of giving attackers a direct entry point to your infrastructure.
While several unified platforms are emerging that cover IoT security standards, such as MIDAS, Unify IoT and Universal Internet of Things Platform, you could be dealing with dozens of devices whose suppliers don’t have the same protection in place. Outdated firmware and software could also make it easy to exploit IoT technology and use it as an attack surface. The sheer variety of form factors, operating systems, feature sets and vendors introduces complications that your current IT security resources may be unable to cover.
IoT requires a complete reevaluation of your IT security strategy and the personnel’s mindset. Staff needs to understand that every connected device represents a vulnerability point. Downtime due to data breaches can lead to substantial financial losses depending on the systems affected.
Vulnerable IoT devices can also have their functionality compromised, which could lead to potentially life-threatening situations. Consider smart devices used in manufacturing applications. If an IoT safety sensor got compromised, it could result in employees ending up in unsafe situations that could cause injuries or death. Another example comes from the medical field. The industry is adopting a wide range of speciality IoT devices to improve patient care.
