Sep 24, 2017The Internet of Things is growing fast, with an estimated 8.4 billion devices expected to be connected this year. As a result of that rapid expansion, the IoT is reshaping the way in which we think about corporate cybersecurity by increasing the attack surface, potentially adding billions of network points of entry for cybercriminals—each one an additional target to be compromised.
Gartner put security at the top of its list of the top 10 IoT technologies for 2017 and 2018, and recent research validates the high priority of cybersecurity and connected things among businesses. One recent survey at Black Hat USA 2016 revealed 70 percent of IT experts who responded indicated that their organization wasn't prepared for IoT-related threats.
While these statistics are real, there also exists a great deal of hype in the market, painting a grave portrait of the IoT and its unique requirements as the grim reaper for businesses. IoT security is a real concern, with open-source cyber-threats like Mirai already showing its potential, but businesses shouldn't believe every scary tale they hear. An attack on any one endpoint doesn't necessarily have to mean all systems are compromised or crippled.
Organizations looking to build or adopt connected devices should educate themselves on how additional endpoints change their threatscape, and should seek to address a few key questions:
What New Vulnerabilities Is the IoT Creating for the Network?
New vulnerabilities are created not just by the expansion of entry points, but by the nature of those entry points. Some of the more common vulnerabilities and concerns that businesses need to prepare for include:
• Insecure Web interfaces: "Internet" is in the name, so step one of IoT security is to make certain the connections themselves are secure.
• Insecure endpoints: Each endpoint is open to an attack, so any that aren't equipped with antivirus software could be infected with malware, opening up the gates to the rest of the network. Businesses will need to keep a watchful eye on how endpoints are behaving and interacting with the rest of the network.
• Mobile interfaces: The IoT happens everywhere, so ensuring a secure mobile strategy is imperative, including monitoring credentials and any accidental exposure.
How Can Businesses Address IoT Vulnerabilities?
The changes to the attack surface aren't beyond our abilities to address. Business can do a few simple things to increase their IoT security from the start:
• Change all default passwords. Simple cybersecurity best practices, like always resetting default passwords, will continue to be a vital first step in the age of the IoT.
• Like changing the password, using an encrypted connection whenever one is available is generally a good cybersecurity rule of thumb that helps to mitigate the risk of attack on the many endpoints within the IoT.
• Create guidelines to quickly call out anomalous behavior of sensors. Sensors perform a very specific task or set of tasks, so detecting any suspicious behavior should be relatively simple if the technology and personnel monitoring the network understand which behaviors are authorized upfront.
How Is the IoT Changing the Future of Securing Businesses?
In many ways, securing an IoT-enabled business requires much of the same, but the game has changed in that the sheer volume of endpoints, and thus the area to secure, is quickly multiplying. Businesses will need to move beyond traditional network and endpoint security, and be diligent in monitoring all network connections. Detection and response strategies will need to become more closely integrated with cybersecurity practices, and IT departments will be most effective by combining the power of technology and human oversight to keep a watchful eye over expanded attack surfaces.
This is particularly true for new and emerging threats, and an overreliance on technology will result in undue complacency, which is exactly what the cybercriminals want in prospective targets.
Brian NeSmith is the CEO and co-founder of Arctic Wolf Networks. Brian brings more than 30 years of experience to Arctic Wolf Networks. In his previous position as CEO of Blue Coat Systems, he led the company's growth from $5 million to more than $500 million per year as the industry's leading Web proxy platform. Prior to that, Brian was the CEO of Ipsilon Networks (acquired by Nokia), which became the leading appliance platform for Check Point firewalls. His early career includes product management, marketing and general management at Newbridge Networks. He was also a consultant for Network Strategies. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
