Following the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is safe to say that the world has encountered new digital progressions. The tech industry has entirely improved and has become even more prominent. Mobile phones have become a requirement, notebooks have been ‘patched’ with tablets and laptops, gadgets and smart devices are more prevalent. At present, nearly everything is interconnected with each other or connected. The IoT devices and their operations have been extravagantly enhanced, particularly in the last three years. By the end of 2021, there are presumed to be about 25.4 billion IoT devices that will be connected to each other.
As enterprises or industries are to be viewed, the number of IoT devices utilized is endless. And as more devices are combined, ensuring security for those devices would be the most challenging. This is where IoT security becomes imperative. Without accurately utilizing IoT security, devices can be hacked easily and once they take control over it, then they can obtain entrance to the codes and functionality of the gadget and certainly the user’s digital data. Hence, IoT security presents a notable role in securing the devices.
The pandemic emphasized the demand for IoT security in enterprises. This is to ensure much better dependability of their administration and devices. And considering the fact that most of the things are occurring online right now, enterprises are expected to be extra careful than ever.
What is IoT Security?
IoT security is the practice of production utilized to defend internet-connected or network-based devices. From automated robots to gaming consoles, almost all technological device has the capacity to communicate with the internet and with each other, to a remarkable extent.
IoT security is the house of strategies, tools, and techniques used to protect these devices from being penetrated. Different types of methodologies fall under the tree of IoT security.
Public key infrastructure (PKI) authentication, application program interface (API) security, and network security systems- are examples of a few approaches IT leaders can make usage of to handle the increasing perils of cybercrime and cyber terrorism that might harm vulnerable IoT devices.
Even though IoT security benefits companies to protect their data or devices, it’s got a bit of some challenges too. Some of the notable challenges are the absence of industry foresight, remote vulnerability, resource constraints, unstable interfaces, etc.
IoT Security- Challenges and Its Solutions
When we take a look at the challenges, there are quite a few.
● Incorrect Access Control-
Services that are allowed by an IoT device should be approved by the owner itself, or by the people whom they trust. Nevertheless, this is usually inadequately enforced by the security system of a device.
Solution- By executing multiple user management features and implementing sturdy authentication mechanisms such as digital certificates, two-factor authentication, and biometrics, we can protect IoT devices from foreign attacks.
● Outdated Software-
It is very essential to update to the latest version of the software in order to protect the device against vulnerabilities. They require to have updated functionality to reinforce any vulnerabilities that become recognized after the deployment of the device.
Solution- Updating to the latest software will help your IoT devices to run smoothly and to overcome this challenge.
● Application Vulnerabilities-
Accepting the fact that software contains vulnerabilities, is an important step in securing IoT devices. To trigger functionality in the device, software bugs act as a possibility. However, like all software bugs, security vulnerabilities are unlikely to withdraw entirely while developing software.
Solution- The developers of the IoT applications must focus on the security features of the IoT applications by implementing good IoT data encryption, and they must ensure to do complete research on the security of their IoT applications and try to keep a good balance between the security and user interface of their IoT apps.
● Insufficient Privacy Protection-
Another drawback of IoT security is how it manages to put up insufficient privacy protection. Consumer devices usually store rather sensitive information. IoT security faces a bit of trouble managing this.
Solution- By implementing traditional endpoint security features such as firewalls, antivirus, anti-malware, detection, and intrusion prevention systems, etc., we can safeguard data from being exposed.
● User Interaction-
User interaction is another challenge faced by IoT security. Poor user interaction results in bad communication between the device and the user, hence, disabling the reach for better information.
Solution- By providing precise attention to usability, design, and documentation, users can be pushed into configuring security settings.
Conclusion
Today, millions of companies have already utilized advanced IoT services to keep up with the rest of their competitors and have implemented IoT security for better overall growth. IoT security performs a notable role in leading enterprises and other businesses protecting their IoT devices from being attacked.
