Like any type of digital security, IoT device and application security will be a perpetually moving target. In the case of the IoT however, the pace of devices being connected does not allow for staying ahead of the curve in securing them. So until such time as IoT devices mature and security becomes a more important focus for vendors, there are some tried and true best practices that can be employed. The thing to remember is that while these end points may be ‘IoT devices,’ in reality they are still tiny computers. As such, they should be secured and monitored just like any other device connected to your networks. The article that follows provides a list of some of the steps one can take in order to secure IoT end points.
The Internet of Things is here to stay. It is estimated that there are approximately eight billion IoT devices connected to the internet and this number is set to continue to grow at an alarming rate.
I regularly find myself in discussions with people who want to know ‘how to secure IoT,’ which invariably leads to an interesting discussion about just what makes up the Internet of Things? However, whether it’s a coffee machine or a doorbell that is connected to your phone, at the end of the day it is a network-connected computer and should be treated as such.
Applying the same rules to IoT devices that you use with any other connected device will usually result in a considerable reduction in the risk they present to you and your networks. None of the following controls are anything particularly complex, in fact, most require very little effort to implement.
