IoT devices are profitable products. But, with that comes a whole host of security risks you need to factor into your development. And the best way to tackle them is right from day one.
One and a half billion breaches affected IoT devices or software in the first six months of 2021. IoT devices collect a significant amount of data, so protecting against vulnerabilities and exploits is crucial. It’s not just the responsibility of the end-user. It should be a fundamental part of the design and architecture.
The first line of defense against security threats lies in the proper design and manufacturing of your product. So, with that in mind, let’s explore some common threats to IoT security, and how you as a software OEM can develop with them in mind.
The scale of IoT ecosystems makes them a prime target for hijackers looking to recruit them into botnets.
Botnets are often used in DDoS attacks, which can have disastrous consequences for businesses and manufacturers. And this can trace right back to vulnerabilities in your software and damage your reputation as a result.
Hardening your firmware and software security against hijackers helps prevent botnet recruitment via third-party modifications and unintended data payloads.
With IoT devices collecting and storing more and more sensitive information, ransomware becomes increasingly dangerous. In fact, the healthcare industry lost an estimated $25 billion to ransomware attacks in 2019.
Utilizing multi-factor authentication encryption helps devices resist packet sniffing, network penetration and man-in-the-middle exploits to protect against potential ransomware attacks.
IoT devices and software updates frequently lag behind the capabilities of cyber attackers. Delaying security updates for users will only give hackers more time to locate a weakness.
But this isn’t all you need to worry about.
IoT access management is often lackluster. Shipping your devices with default hard-coded user names and password gives easy access to third parties. Prompting users to set up unique login credentials on setup helps to reduce the risk of the device being compromised.
You can also streamline the update process. Explore automatic updates that install vital security measures without impacting functionality for users. Alternatively, you can proactively communicate update availability to your users.
With strict regulations around securing sensitive data online, it can be easy to forget the most obvious risk of all: theft.
If IoT devices fall into the wrong hands, they can be easily tampered with.
“Hackers who physically gain access to an embedded system can try to steal sensitive data, inject malicious code into the system, attempt to gain control of the system, or clone the device.” - Embedded Computer Design
Combatting this issue goes right back to the design stage. Aim to remove easy methods of physical tampering and look into tamper detection that initiates defensive actions when the device's integrity is compromised.
Any dependency from a third party—whether it's hardware or code—can introduce potential vulnerabilities into the system. According to VDC Research, the use of third-party commercial code in IoT products more than tripled in the last few years.
By implementing third-party dependencies, you’re putting your trust in another provider to maintain regular hardware and firmware updates and comply with industry regulations.
In response, you should evaluate your ability to hotfix third-party components or libraries without their assistance.
Those are the risks, but what can you do about them? Reliability and trust should be at the forefront of not just your development, but also how you respond to known vulnerabilities and exploits. Customers won’t trust a product in their house if it’s poorly maintained.
Here are some ways you can stay security conscious throughout your development and after release.
IoT has significant economic value potential according to McKinsey. And value attracts malicious activity to capitalize on it. With the Internet of Things shaping the world, security remains a foundational point of this technology’s success.
Ensure the security capabilities of your IoT devices and software by considering it right from the start of your development cycles. Embed it into the architecture. Consider it in every design point. That way you’ll provide solid functionality for end-users, with water-tight security to keep them safe.