Why Cybersecurity Will Save the Internet of Things

IoT, or the Internet of Things, is a grand ambition of the most influential kind. It is a unified goal that seeks to create an internet age of unity and equality that we may not ever see in any other industry.  In this article, we will explain why cybersecurity will save IoT and let us progress well into the future with greatly reduced hazard.

IoT becomes larger every day

IoT everywhere would mean that your refrigerator can tell your Amazon Alexa to order more milk when it notices very little left. It is the ability of your car to keep in constant communication with the manufacturer to report any problems it may be suffering that cannot be seen.

It is the power of your devices to keep a running log of operation so that we may finally understand how our devices and appliances work and why the deteriorate and how. It does not stop there, however, as it is also concerned with providing internet access to all parts of the world so that everyone may have equal and open access to the internet.

This will open our eyes to the different cultures of the world while also providing a constant stream of education to criminally underserved parts of the globe. At the same time, unfortunately, a new breed of haughty hacker is rising to manipulate networks and install malware on every device possible. Trepidation rides high as a result and the outlook of IoT grows dim in its creeping shadow.

Constantly connected devices may make our data vulnerable

Each successful hack reduces trust in the internet age and hinders the progress of IoT just so. The spread of interconnected devices relies on the trust of the technology by the very people who use.

However, a break in the fog shines a light into the digital darkness. Cybersecurity prevents massive hacking attempts from upending our lives or destroying businesses haphazardly and with little regard for its implications. Luckily, cybersecurity has shown to be the answer we need to this impending problem that may spell disaster for an untold number of businesses and operations.

“Hackers are getting better at tricking us into handing over our credentials and that could spell disaster for a company that’s connected via IoT devices. For careless operators, an IoT-connected device could lead to breaches bigger and more invasive than we’ve ever seen,”  writes Naresh Persaud, Senior Director of Security at CA Technologies, for CSO.

All is not lost, as pessimistic as Persaud may seem in the above quote. He continues, “But with some relatively simple cyber hygiene practices that stretch from the IT department to on-the-ground employees, organizations can stay connected and still be safe from cyber attacks.”

The Internet of Things and Cybersecurity Must Merge

Obviously, cybersecurity is of greater import than many are willing, or ready, to admit. Luckily, participation in cybersecurity is rising and, as a result, networks are safer than ever before, but, the problem is far from over, in fact, some believe it is merely beginning.

“While these devices are undoubtedly improving our lives and businesses in many ways,” Persaud continues, “securing this massive number of devices will represent one of our biggest challenges in 2018.”

There are solutions, however. One such solution emerging from cybersecurity is better credential management. “Fortunately, identity management can help because each device has an identity, as well as potentially multiple user credentials to manage. By creating three-way trust between the device, user, and application we can drastically reduce the attack surface.”

The concept of the Internet of Things is, in the simplest terms, that everything in your life will be able to communicate with another device through the internet or data transference line. In a more specific sense, it is the application of interconnectivity between the devices we depend on day in and day out. The purpose of cybersecurity is to protect sensitive data. Security is of the utmost importance when devices are connected all the time.

The dream of IoT, rather its impending destination at our feet, is marching unhindered toward its destiny regardless of the network security risks.

However, the greater the involvement in cybersecurity, the better the chance that IoT will not lead to imminent ruin. It is up to each of us to stay educated and implement cybersecurity at every level available to us in the hopes of a brighter and safer future.