The Internet of Things Potential Security Vulnerabilities and Possible Solutions

Whenever human beings face a problem, they come up with ingenious tools to find the solution. From a simple chisel to a complex satellite, tools of convenience have progressed continuously throughout history, taking on new forms and new purposes.

But in their drive for creation, did human beings ever stop to consider the possibility of their tools gaining the ability to think and learn? Why, of course. One famous example would be the Internet of Things (IoT) which is in the elementary stage of development, and seems to be the foundation of a purely technological future.

What is IoT? It consists of your everyday devices, fixated with computing gear with the ability to send and receive data wirelessly between themselves or with a human operator, over the internet automatically.

Transformative Technology

Just imagine what the IoT could help us accomplish. On a large scale, these remotely controlled devices could be propelled into space and programmed to carry out surveillance of the inhabitable planets of our solar system. Automatic drones could be engineered to go to the depths of the earth and enable us to see what’s cooking there. Large scale IoT could streamline the manufacturing industry and build buildings, lay out roads, and produce products. The benefits seem to be endless. And it’s not just a matter of "could" - it’s a matter of "is". Yes, such projects are being worked upon as we speak.

On a smaller scale, however, the Internet of Things have already been incorporated into our daily lives to some extent. Look around you. Automated devices line your houses, your workplaces, and your very cities. They reduce the workload by thousands of degrees, help us conserve resources, and enable us to connect with everyone and everything in a far better way. That is why around 40% of business ventures today have tended to opt for IoT implementation in their infrastructures.

On the Rise

What are the IoT devices you can expect to be living alongside in 2018? For homes, there are smart keyless locks, temperature-regulating eco-friendly automated thermostats, smart lights with eye-pleasing hues, smart switches with USB ports, smart cameras appended with motion-activated floodlights, a smart gardener with irrigation controls, and smart AI assistants which can manage all of these smart devices while you easily take tea and talk to your mum over your Mediacom phone. Cool, right?

In offices, you’ll find IoT blockchain technology, cloud assistants, and smart visual programmers. On the streets, you may see the rise of smart waste bins, smart air-purifying buildings, and smart parking sensors. And it’s just the beginning.

Possible Downsides

Do you remember the early days of the internet revolution? The excitement which surrounded the web phenomenon in those days? How the developers rushed to explore new avenues, innovate, and invent new channels by which the internet could be expanded? That is why you saw the nascent internet riddled with viruses, failed domains, and wormholes. No one paid attention to security.

This is what seems to be happening to the Internet of Things. Developers increasingly introduce automated gadgets of this variety into the market. But in this upward progress, there exists certain downsides too. These downsides are typically in the form of security risks and the impending lack of standardization, which brings the element of vulnerability into the devices’ setup, exposing the customers to inconveniences. The dependency of firms on this enigmatic IoT and its inculcation in their infrastructure also endangers them in one way or another.

Cybersecurity is coming to the forefront as an important IoT issue. Problems that surround the IoT landscape can be sorted into two categories which are mentioned below, alongside their potential solutions.

Software

This includes the issues that arise in the intangible, programming sphere of the internet of things, and how you can neutralize them.

Compromised Network

Devices within the Internet of Things communicate with one another wirelessly over the internet and create a networked grid. This communication is key to their collective functioning.

Take the example of a smart central hub which manages the locks, the lights, and the sprinklers in a house. If a hacker taps into the flow of this network, they can definitely compromise the smooth running of the devices by messing up the controls and making the devices go haywire.

These compromised devices hold the possibility of endangering the lives of their users. For instance, the safety mark of heat-based appliances, like a smart oven or a smart coffee maker, could be overridden and a fire could start, endangering human lives in the vicinity. Not only that, as these devices work together, their whole interoperability could be messed up even if a single device is hacked. Just think. Hacking one device leads the attackers to hack all the connected devices too. A holistic hacking!

And this could prove to be dangerous. For instance, just by tapping into the surveillance stream of one roadside camera, a hacker could enter into the security system of the whole city and wreak as much havoc as they desire. It is estimated that by 2020, around 25% of cyberattacks will be centered on the IoT.

What can be the solution to this problem? Cushion the connection with a stronger encryption, which tunnels the communication from the eyes of the hackers. Safeguard the devices with strong passwords. Determine the access points and protect them. Give out the access controls confidentially only to the most trusted users.

Online Data Breach

The cloud plays an important role in the functioning of the Internet of Things. How? These smart devices register and collect data. After that, they transfer the received data on the cloud, from where it is shared with the human users and/or directed to the tertiary devices, which process it and make it useful. Thus, the cloud makes up for a central sharing platform. If this crucial platform is hacked by cybercriminals, who release malware or spyware in the relevant data slots, think of the damage that could be done. After all, it is this very data which can make or break a device.

How can you protect this data? How can you prevent the cloud breach from happening in the first place? By getting an SSL certification and reliable security. Apart from that, you can go for heavy-duty identity authentication measures which will ensure that only the trusted users access the cloud. Get your hands on the latest anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-spyware protection as soon as get the devices up and going.

Hardware

This includes the issues that arise with the tangible equipment, and how they can be remedied.

Vendor Abandonment

Oftentimes, vendors stop issuing firmware updates or other important modifications for the Internet of Things they’ve already issued to the users. In short, they abandon their products. What happens as a result? The devices start running numerous vulnerabilities, become prone to attacks, and prove to be a hassle for users.

This can be averted once the users start asking for certification as a measure of reliability. This will introduce a certain level of standardization in the IoT distribution. Not only that, a safety bond should be levied on the IoT vendors, against the possibility of their abandoning the products. This bond can be cashed in as neglect starts to settle in, with the money going to specific non-profit organizations responsible for maintaining the faulty devices.

Internet Dependency

The devices immediately go out of fashion and into the dustbin once the network goes down. This sole internet dependency exposes the devices to all sorts of cyber attacks.

The IoT should come with a non-connectivity option, which would allow it to work in the absence of the internet, as well. This would enable it to retain some value in the eyes of users.

So as you see, attention needs to be paid to the security dimension of the IoT as soon as possible.

Jonathan Carter is an amazing blogger and Lifehacks enthusiast with a vast experience of writing on different aspects of life. He has been writing on different aspects of daily life on different platforms.