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The summer season has arrived! Warmer weather means families are spending time enjoying outdoor activities like hiking, bike rides, and beach days. With less time in the office comes more time on other devices, especially wearable technology like Apple Watches or FitBits. In other words, it is time to think about IoT security.
IoT stands for Internet of Things. Today, we are interconnected like never before, and more and more of our everyday devices are connecting to the internet and to each other. Consequently, more personal and business data is being shared. Your IT strategy must now encompass all the different ways through which you and your team are connecting to your business network.
You are probably wondering how an employee’s fitness tracker affects your cybersecurity strategy. Fitness trackers need to connect to another device like a computer or smartphone in order for the user to view all of the data they collect throughout the day, or input information like foods eaten or how many glasses of water they had. In this example, your employee might be connecting their fitness tracker to both their work and home computers. If their home computer is less secure, a hacker may be able to use the fitness tracker to also infiltrate your network. This is just one example. New IoT devices are now coming onto the market constantly. Soon, smart home assistants could be as common as smartphones. You may even make use of them in your office. With all of this innovation and change, it can be hard for your IT strategy to keep up.
IoT devices are known for being unsecured and lacking built-in security systems. They are also designed to be found and recognized by other devices, so if the default password has not been changed, it can be extremely easy for a hacker to find and access a device by exploiting a known default password. In order to secure your network in the face of increased connectivity, you need to put proactive policies in place, rather than depending on the device’s security systems. Hackers are sophisticated, and their favorite targets are those they expect to be unsecured. They assume that small-to-medium sized businesses are not investing in cybersecurity and will not keep up with the latest technology trends.
We’re here to prove the hackers wrong. With Uprite Services in your corner, you can be confident that we will keep you up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity best practices. We can also help you develop and implement policies that will help manage which personal devices your employees connect to your business network, and educate them around the security steps they need to take when doing so. Even seemingly small steps, like making sure they change their devices’ default password, can make a big difference.
Contact Uprite Services today. Partner with us to keep up with today’s latest technology trends and manage the risks so that hackers never catch you off guard.
IoT Security: Questions Owners Ask
How can an employee’s fitness tracker put my network at risk?
A fitness tracker has to connect to a phone or computer, and an employee may link it to both a work and a home machine. If the home computer is less secure, a hacker may be able to use the tracker to reach your network too, and the same logic applies to every new device an employee connects to both machines. That’s one example of many. New IoT devices keep arriving. NIST’s baseline for connected device security, IR 8259, CISA’s industrial control systems resources and IBM’s breach report go further on the risks.
What makes IoT devices so easy to attack?
IoT devices are known for being unsecured and lacking built-in security systems. They’re also designed to be found and recognized by other devices. So a device still using its default password is easy for a hacker to find and access, since known default passwords can be exploited by anyone looking. Small step, big difference.
Can I count on the device maker to handle security?
Not safely. Put proactive policies in place rather than depending on a device’s own security systems. Decide which personal devices may connect to the business network. Educate employees on the security steps they need to take when they connect, such as changing a device’s default password, and keep reviewing those policies as new devices come onto the market.
Are small businesses really on a hacker’s radar?
Hackers favor targets they expect to be unsecured. They assume small and mid-sized businesses aren’t investing in cybersecurity or keeping up with the latest technology trends. Prove them wrong.
Where would I even start on an IoT policy?
Start by listing every way your team connects to the business network. Then write rules for personal devices and default passwords. Uprite Services helps develop and implement those policies and keeps clients current on cybersecurity best practices, so hackers are never able to catch you off guard. Reach out.
