In this era of technological change, the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most popular technologies. As devices and technology become smarter and more connected, the dangers and vulnerabilities they face increase. Over the past decade, IoT has been widely used in various industries, with many companies leveraging IoT for smarter operations.
According to Business Insider, the number of IoT devices is expected to reach 41 billion by 2027. Emerging tools and technologies such as smart building equipment, machine learning and 5G can significantly increase efficiency and enable more control in homes and businesses.
The Internet of Things is about connecting everything you see to the Internet, from new apps to smart devices created by IoT developers. In 2017, global Internet of Things (IoT) industry sales exceeded US$100 billion for the first time, and it is expected that this number may rise to approximately US$1.6 trillion by 2025.
But what about the security issues of IoT? Any professional IoT application development company considers this as the most difficult problem. In fact, it is currently the least explored area of cybersecurity and, as such, the technology is not yet mature. All of this leads to a series of IoT security challenges.
1. Inconsistent safety standards
The Internet of Things is a bit disorganized when it comes to security standards. There are no unified standards for companies and niches, which means all companies need to establish their own protocols and guidelines. The lack of standardization makes it more difficult to secure IoT devices, while also making it more difficult to allow machine-to-machine communication (M2M) without increasing risk.
2. Low processing power
Most IoT devices have less processing power. This reduces costs and extends battery life, but it makes over-the-air (OTA) updates difficult and prohibits the device from using cybersecurity tools like firewalls, virus scanners, and end-to-end encryption. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to hackers.
3. Traditional assets
If an application is not developed with cloud connectivity in mind, it is likely to be vulnerable to contemporary cyberattacks. For example, these older assets may not support newer encryption standards. Therefore, leaving outdated applications online without significant changes is dangerous. These historic assets have been built over years (perhaps decades), and even small security upgrades can be a huge challenge.
4. Lack of user awareness
Over the years, Internet users have learned how to protect their computers and phones. People are more aware of the importance of virus scanning and they are also aware that spam emails should not be read. However, since IoT is a new technology, many people are not familiar with its concepts and functions. As a result, manufacturers and consumers may pose significant security risks to IoT devices. Hackers target people and devices. Some users have limited knowledge in the use of the device, and as a result, people carry out activities without knowing the consequences.
5. Lack of encryption
The lack of encryption mechanisms in regular transmissions is one of the biggest security issues in the Internet of Things. Many IoT devices do not encrypt the data they transmit, which means if someone hacks into the network, they can capture passwords and other sensitive information sent to the device.
6. Lack of firmware updates
Another major IoT security concern is whether the device contains bugs that lead to vulnerabilities. Whether they come from code generated by yourself or a third party, manufacturers need to be able to upgrade their firmware to avoid these dangerous situations. Ideally this should be able to be done remotely, but this is not always possible. If your network’s data transfer speeds are too slow or its messaging capabilities are limited, you may need to physically interact with the device to post updates.
7. Botnet attack
Botnets can be used to automate large-scale attacks such as unauthorized access, server crashes, data theft, and DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks. Botnets are often designed to launch attacks at low cost and in a very short time. To effectively carry out an attack, hackers can remotely access devices and infect thousands of workstations, while security systems may find it difficult to distinguish between genuine and malicious communications.
Résumer
Considering the importance of IoT security, it is crucial to deploy security mechanisms on IoT devices and communication networks. It is also recommended not to use the default password when using the device for the first time and to understand the security requirements of the device to protect the device from security threats.
Disabling unused features may reduce the likelihood of security breaches. Additionally, it is equally important to study the various security protocols used in IoT devices and networks.
Mots-clés : Ethernet data transmission equipment