Technological advancements have made people and devices more connected and the Internet of Things or IoT is a concept based on the connection of multiple devices to the internet and connected devices.
IoT technology can be seen in several everyday devices like smart microwaves, wearable fitness devices, and self-driving cars.
Despite the potential IoT holds, there are also concerns about security and privacy. These are the top ten biggest IoT security issues a software development company should look out for this year.
Regulations and standards on security are lacking around the globe and this needs to be addressed. Despite limitations faced in terms of security regulations, several manufacturers still fail to adhere to them. There are thus devices in the market that fail to meet even the basic safety and security standards.
This is one of the biggest IoT security issues we will see this year, with focus areas being hardware issues, weak passwords, and insecure data storage.
With manufacturers failing to comply with security regulations, it is no surprise that a significant number of IoT devices are unprotected. These vulnerable products are still used, however, and people connect these devices with their other devices, which creates several safety issues.
The increase in production of IoT devices should thus be paired with additional safety features and measures.
A software development company providing the Internet of Things solutions must also keep in mind that a lack of user knowledge is one of the biggest security issues and user awareness, or a lack thereof, may make devices and networks more vulnerable to attacks and breaches.
As the demand for IoT devices increases, manufacturers are busy trying to meet these demands. Unfortunately, they often do so by showing very little regard to security and safety. This means that a manufacturer may forego required testing measures and procedures in order to get the product to the market.
This definitely poses a risk to users and software development services will look for such vulnerabilities in devices.
When manufacturers discover vulnerabilities in their software, they fix them via updates. Ideally, these updates should be rolled out immediately after vulnerabilities are discovered. However, several IoT devices run without the latest updates, which puts the device and the network at risk.
Some IoT devices come with default login information and users are not required to submit their own passwords. This may seem like a convenient feature, but default login information is rarely secure and usually uses weak passwords.
Default login information can make a device more vulnerable to attacks, which is why default passwords are a security concern software development services often focus on.
Kaspersky describes a botnet as a network of infected devices that are remotely controlled by cybercriminals and states that the consequences of such an attack are huge internet bills, slow and unstable device performance, data theft, and legal implications if the device is compromised.
Unprotected devices can make a network more vulnerable to botnet attacks, which is why an organisation should make use of the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions from a reputable software development company to ensure their systems are secure.
Along the lines of botnet attacks are cryptomining bots, malicious IoT devices, and ransomware. These attacks on IoT devices are threats to your network and have increased over the years. This is why software development services now focus heavily on early detection and secure systems.
IoT devices collect large amounts of data on users and analyze and store them for various reasons. Over time, the volume of data has increased, which has led to automated data management. While this can simplify data collection, a minor misconfiguration can also cause all systems or networks to shut down.
Modern homes are equipped with IoT devices like smart locks and televisions. While these devices enhance the quality of living of the residents, they also store data on the exact location of the house. This can pose a significant threat to users if they are not aware of safety features they should activate when using the device.