Learning how to secure IoT devices is crucial nowadays. Billions of IoT devices tackle sensitive information every minute, making critical systems such as healthcare so vulnerable. Unlike computers and mobile phones, IoT devices lack robust built-in security features for blocking cyber threats.
This limited protection can lead to data breaches, DDoS attacks, and physical threats. IoT security is all about taking threat prevention measures such as data encryption, user authentication, and firmware updates.
You should determine and apply the best IoT security practices during device deployment and afterward. Before applying various IoT security measures, take the time to understand the risks your devices are prone to. This detailed guide reveals these risks and offers the security solutions to adopt.
The Most Popular IoT Security Risks
Before explaining how to secure IoT devices, you need to know the security risks they are prone to. These security issues can trigger system downtimes, disrupting operations and threatening data integrity. They include the following:
- Limited Security Features – IoT devices often lack reliable built-in security features. Manufacturers tend to invest less in software design, ending firmware updates shortly after the release. Leaving backdoors unpatched and web applications weak can usually create more security risks. Try to fill the security gaps that these manufacturers leave to keep your devices safe.
- Malware – IoT devices interconnect remotely via the internet. Each device on the network is vulnerable to malware attacks, including the most disruptive DDoS. These stop normal business operations by incapacitating the critical systems. Malware attacks often occur due to weak passwords that cyber attackers can guess right without effort.
- Data Breaches – As you learn how to secure IoT devices, you will discover that they are prone to data breaches. Insecure IoT devices in critical systems such as fitness and healthcare can expose secure ones to major data breaches. These can cause a sudden loss of massive user data. Hackers can then misuse this data, trigger expensive legal issues, and cause loss of business reputation.
- Physical Threats – While many IoT risks are cyber-related, you can also encounter physical threats in your workplace. Some organizations create physical security with IoT technology, such as installing advanced door access systems or cameras for specific rooms. If unauthorized persons gain access credentials, they can enter the secured area and steal.
- Misconfiguration – Some IoT devices still use outdated firmware, which is prone to unpatched security issues. Additionally, misconfigured devices may circumvent weak passwords or other security measures you have created.
How to Secure IoT Devices – Security Measures to Take
IoT security entails four levels: device, application, network, and cloud. Device security concerns hardware and firmware protection via safe boot procedures and other techniques. Network security ensures data safety during transit.
It applies techniques such as segmentation and encryption. Application security executes secure coding, patching, and access control. Cloud security is backend protection using audit controls and data encryption. When laying the foundation for IoT device security, focus on five attributes.
These include connectivity, compliance, continuity, confidentiality, and cybersecurity. Here is how to secure IOT devices in your organization:
- Encrypting Data – Cyber attackers intercept data during transfer from one IoT device to another. If they find security gaps, they extract sensitive user data. Here is how to secure IoT devices when transferring data. Encryption masks data, making it invisible as it passes through the tunnel. Hackers cannot intercept and steal this data. Your company should maintain robust encryption protocols to ensure data confidentiality during transit or storage.
- Update and Patch Devices – IoT systems lack adequate built-in protection from vulnerabilities. Most manufacturers do not offer long-term firmware updates, exposing devices to cyber threats. Patch your firmware to prevent malware and other cyber issues. Another point on how to secure IoT devices in this context is to automate patching and updating processes. This will save the IT staff from manual software and firmware upgrading, allowing them to focus on other crucial matters.
- RBAC – Role-based Access Control is vital for those learning how to secure IoT devices. It is a system that limits system access to users who have the authorization. Those without permission to interact with IoT devices cannot access sensitive data. They cannot change device configurations in a way that allows them to retrieve data unnoticed. RBAC lets you restrict access control based on users’ job roles, preventing insider threats and device misconfigurations. By reducing attack surfaces, you can comply with data protection regulations and secure your IoT network.
- Incident Response Planning – How to secure IoT devices from cyber threats also entails incident response planning. This strategy can help your company detect and stop a cyber or physical attack before it happens. The framework can also help you recover from an unforeseen security incident. It entails automatic threat detection, quick response, and logical recovery measures. Proactive planning can reduce downtimes and disruptions during a live attack. It can also help your IT team do regular simulations to see how to upgrade your incident response methodologies. Proper incident response planning ensures business continuity even during a cyber-attack.
- Authentication – A crucial thing to know about how to secure IoT devices is device authentication. This security measure ensures that only confirmed IoT devices can access your network ecosystem. Device authentication prevents hackers from intruding on your network and interfering with your business operations and confidential data. Tools such as multi-factor and 2-factor authentications can block illegal access and identify spoofing.
- Segmentation – Network segmentation is another way to secure your IoT devices. Segmentation involves separating your network into sections with unique access privileges. Only authorized users can access any of these network sections. By segmenting your IoT network, you reduce the threat surfaces that hackers can attack and misuse. Besides, if a cyber-attack occurs in one network section, the other sections will continue to function well.
- Safe Device Onboarding – The first step of the IoT device management lifecycle is onboarding and provisioning. How to secure IoT devices when onboarding deserves a calculated move. Onboarding involves the introduction of a new device into an existing IoT ecosystem. The device should be safe to avoid infecting other devices in the ecosystem. One security measure to take is to authenticate and validate the device identity before deploying it. Provisioning is assigning a new IoT device a unique identifier, such as a digital certificate. Further, you should create access credentials that are easy to recall but impossible to guess. Do this when configuring the device from its default factory settings to the ones you want. Lastly, embrace a safe boot procedure to verify that a device only runs digitally signed and approved firmware. This can stop you from running an illegal third-party code or introducing malware during the boot process.
How to Secure Medical Devices
Health facilities are on the frontline when it comes to the usage of Internet of Things technology. These facilities apply the Internet of Things in patient monitoring, medical imaging, and to provide critical medical care.
If a hospital’s IoT device network has weak security protocols, it can attract data breaches and ransomware attacks. The vulnerable medical devices within the IoT network are easy to manipulate, which can disrupt healthcare operations.
You need to know how to secure medical devices IoT to avoid endangering lives. Ransomware can infect the hospital’s IoT system and lock patient records, blocking and delaying treatment services.
A hospital needs to plan for such attacks through strong data encryption, device authentication, automatic firmware updates, and continuous network monitoring.
Conclusion
Now you know how to secure IoT devices. Make sure you understand the vulnerabilities that your devices are prone to and how to eliminate them. Besides taking the afore-mentioned actions to resolve the security risks, you can enhance IoT device security by limiting your third-party integrations. Always connect with verifiable third-party vendors that follow high security standards.