KNOWLEDGE NETWORK
There are many proactive ways to secure your IoT devices
Why the IoT needs network security Ned Richards of Pod Group addresses the current state of safety within IoT communications; explaining how we can ensure it remains as far away from tipping point as possible.
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s the IoT approaches 30 billion connected devices, built-in security vulnerabilities begin to pose a much greater threat to the entire ecosystem. Baked-in security protocols mean that legacy devices can be easily breached, and with the evolution of malware like Mirai (which recruited routers and other ‘smart’ devices into a botnet for DDoS attacks) businesses of all sizes are at risk of their customers’ data being used maliciously. Added to the fact that most end-users are not aware of the risks, the safety of IoT communications is currently at a tipping point.
14 | June 2018
Tackling network threats The problem with IoT devices is that they do not have the processing power to host traditional anti-malware or firewalls. This means that the traffic to and from an IoT device is reliant on the network to protect its payload, and often IoT companies assume that a level of security is included in their provider agreement. Network operators face a similar problem to end-users their equipment was never meant to deal with the sophisticated attacks we see today, and not on this scale. Operators act as the gatekeepers of
network communications, with all traffic passing through their infrastructure no matter the level of device protection, so it is more important than ever that users are aware of the threat level to their devices. VPNs are touted as the answer to all security concerns but are not an ideal solution when it comes to the IoT. While a VPN is designed to secure your network, ‘fencing’ it off from the public internet, all a hacker needs to do is access one device, and they can control all the devices within the VPN. According to Clemens Vasters, senior program manager at Microsoft’s Connected Systems Division, “The security