IoT Security Best Practices

The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken center stage in our increasingly technological world. Connected devices are becoming more practical and affordable for mainstream consumers, as well as an integral part of many businesses. We trust M2M applications to transmit confidential and personal information, monitor valuable assets, and control mission- critical devices.

However, as we are beginning to witness the limitless potential to save time, cut costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality of life, we are also made aware that with all these potential benefits, there is also potential for new instances of data vulnerability and security breaches.

A recent study released by HP Security Research reviewed 10 of the most popular IoT devices that included some form of cloud service and mobile applications. The results revealed that an alarming 70% were subject to serious security vulnerabilities. Some of these concerns included insufficient authentication/password strength, lack of transport encryption, weak web interface credentials, and insecure software updates.

As a growing number of players enter the market with new connected devices and applications, security will not be viewed as a point of differentiation – it will be an expectation. We want you to understand what you can do to meet, and even exceed that expectation. The following are five questions to consider prior to deployment that can help secure a connected application: