Illustration: © IoT For All
In the municipality of Malmö, Sweden, a digital display shows train timetables. At least it does typically. The IT team in Malmö took a few security shortcuts and used an insecure internet connection with their IoT connection for the display board. They didn’t think through the IoT security vulnerability problems or the consequences of their choices in regards to those shortcuts.
Soon, hackers found their way into the system and displayed explicit content instead of train timetables. The hack led to a PR disaster for Malmö, and the municipality found itself in worldwide news for something it never wanted to be known for.
These problems with IoT implementation can lead to PR disasters and poor customer experience. In this article, we’ll discuss the most common IoT challenges and how to avoid them.
IoT Security
At the heart of IoT lies a global, digital exchange of information. Without this information exchange, IoT couldn’t serve its purpose. However, it does pose security threats that require thorough protection. Anything that connects to the internet or relies on connectivity—from train displays to phones to smart thermostats— can be hacked.
Unfortunately, these attacks are often hard to detect on IoT devices. Most hackers are experts who know how to enter a network slowly and steadily to go undetected while valuable information and secure data are taken. If hackers infiltrate the cloud, it can be extremely difficult to detect the breach until data has already been collected by the attackers.
Here are two precautions you can take to reduce the risk of security breaches in your IoT network:
Keep Software and Devices Updated Regularly
It’s easy for attackers to infiltrate a system through network vulnerabilities, but most software and applications include updates to patch these vulnerabilities. If you regularly update devices and software, you can stay up-to-date on any weak spots in your network.
Perform Risk Assessments on IoT Security Vulnerabilities
Risk assessments for IoT will scan the network, cloud, and devices for potential vulnerabilities or holes that attackers could infiltrate. While risk assessments aren’t infallible, they can provide a base for security protection and heavily reduce security risks to an IoT network.
Consumer Privacy & Security
Security and privacy are often conflated and treated as two terms for the same concept. However, they’re actually two different things. Security is what protects a network from hackers, and privacy is what protects user information from third parties or internet surveillance. As with any …….
Source: https://www.iotforall.com/8-tips-to-avoid-the-most-common-iot-problems