The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become an integral component of people’s lives, and businesses. It has triggered the digital transformation of industries across the globe. The ever-increasing demand for connected devices has led to the popularity of Internet of Things and is going to dominate the market in the upcoming years. In this blog, we will be discussing the challenges faced by the Internet of Things.
Is IoT Under Attack?
The widespread usage of IoT is gaining traction, however it has to overcome a lot of challenges.
Across the globe, industries are adopting IoT, but the architecture is not reliable. Here is a breakdown of the IoT attack surface areas:
- Devices- Attacks may be initiated mostly through devices. Memory, physical interface, web interface, and network services are all areas of a device where vulnerabilities might be found.
- Communication channels- Attacks against IoT components can emerge through the channels that connect them. The flaws in IoT protocols can disrupt the entire system. Denial of service (DoS) and spoofing are most common network threats affecting IoT systems.
- Applications and software- Vulnerabilities in applications and software can lead to data breaches.
The three main components of IoT that are prone to attacks are security, design and deployment. Let’s analyze these attacks in detail:
Security Attacks
Lack of testing and updation
There is a tremendous increase in IoT devices recently. IoT manufacturers are developing and distributing their gadgets as quickly as possible, without taking security into account. The majority of these IoT devices are not adequately tested or updated, making them vulnerable to hackers and other security risks.
Brute forcing
IoT devices are highly prone to password hacking and brute force mainly due to weak passwords and login data. Any firm that employs factory default credentials on its devices are exposing themselves, their assets, their customers, and their sensitive data, to the risk of a brute force attack.
Low processing power
The majority of IoT apps only consume a small amount of data. This saves money and extends battery life, but it makes it impossible to update over-the-air (OTA), and it prohibits the device from using security tools like firewalls and virus scanners. Hence, IoT systems are often susceptible to hacking.
Lack of encryption
Encryption is an excellent way to keep hackers out of your data, but it’s also one of the biggest IoT security issues. These systems have the same amount of storage and processing power of a standard PC. As a result, hacker assaults have become more common.
Design Attacks
Battery life
One of the most essential aspects for IoT devices is ensuring a long-lasting battery life. In consumer IoT devices, a long battery life is a big competitive advantage. The industry standard for industrial IoT devices is a battery life of five to ten years. Battery failure is something which cannot be tolerated.
Increased cost and time to market
Cost is a minor constraint for embedded systems. The demand for better ways to cost modelling or cost optimization with digital electronic components arises from the need to drive better techniques when creating IoT devices. Designers must also address the issue of design time so that the embedded device can be released at the appropriate time.
Security of the system
Systems must be developed and implemented in such a way that they are both robust and reliable, as well as secure, using cryptographic methods and security protocols. It entails a variety of ways for securing all embedded device components from design to deployment.
Deployment Attacks
Connectivity
When it comes to integrating devices, apps, and cloud platforms, security is the most important consideration. IoT devices play a crucial role in monitoring data and providing information, however poor connectivity poses a major threat.
Cross platform capability
Future technology changes must be taken into account while developing IoT applications. The creation of IoT devices mandates the right balance of software and hardware functionalities. IoT application developers face a great difficulty in ensuring that device and IoT platform drivers provide optimal performance despite device rates.
Sourcing of IoT devices
Another issue that businesses may encounter is determining how and where to obtain IoT devices. Because the devices are such an important aspect of the system, it’s critical to get high-quality gadgets that are appropriate for the situation. It’s difficult to know which systems operate together and communicate efficiently when there are so many alternatives and brands to select from. Using a reputable and trustworthy comprehensive IoT services provider helps ensure that businesses have the correct equipment and a successful final result. One of the greatest ways to avoid any compatibility difficulties and catch any system design flaws is to use a reputable source. This not only ensures a flawless IoT deployment, but it also offers businesses with a trustworthy partner.
Integration of IoT products
Enterprises must combine numerous IoT connected devices with the appropriate IoT platforms to successfully develop IoT applications. Due to a lack of adequate integration, irregularities in functions and efficiency in delivering value to clients may occur. The main issue here is that there are too many IoT endpoints and assertions that must be connected to gather sensor data and send it to an IoT platform.
Security still not good on edge devices?
Edge devices are used by businesses and service providers to transmit, route, process, monitor, filter, translate, and store data that travels between networks. Nowadays, more and more businesses are embracing edge devices, however it is prone to security vulnerabilities. Some of the most critical edge security concerns include DDoS attacks, account thefts, lateral attacks, and other security breaches.
Should industries and corporates worry if there is a breach in their networks?
IoT service breaches are one of the biggest challenges faced by companies nowadays. Attackers who get access to IoT devices may cause all kinds of havoc, including shutting down factories, destroying equipment, blacking out electricity systems, and even inserting tiny manufacturing flaws into sophisticated items that can lead to costly recalls months or years down the road. Hence, it is critical for businesses to strengthen their IoT systems to stay away from data breaches.
