From difficulty in detecting vulnerabilities to little data for machine learning: here's why it's hard to secure Internet of Things devices
The digital transformation of companies passes mainly through the always-connected devices of the Internet of Things, which provide the enterprise with numerous advantages. However, IoT objects also represent a danger for cybersecurity, as some surveys show.
A threat made even more worrying by the fact that the security of most of these network-capable tools, increasingly used in factories, cannot be improved by manufacturers. In fact, it has been proven time and time again by many companies experienced in computer protection that Internet of Things devices are potentially hackable by hackers. As their deployment in facilities increases, IoT objects inevitably end up weakening the cybersecurity of enterprises, jeopardizing not only the company's protection systems, but also the safety of employees.
There are a number of reasons why the cybersecurity of these devices cannot be easily improved by manufacturers. Here are the main ones.
Hard to detect vulnerabilities
Exactly as it happens with other devices and software, manufacturers are unlikely to be able to detect the presence of vulnerabilities beforehand, which usually emerge as soon as the deployment of Internet of Things objects increases. Moreover, most developers tend to focus mostly on the technical features of the device and still little on its security.
Easy to compromise
The second point is closely related to the previous one. Compared to computers or other devices used in the enterprise, always-connected objects have, as seen, more flaws. This means that IoT devices will increasingly be used by hackers to breach the company's IT systems.
Fragile microprocessors
IoT objects mount microprocessors on board, which have the advantage of being energy efficient and, above all, low cost. However, the benefits of these internal elements are nullified by the lack of adequate security measures. Still, in fact, protection and privacy standards are in a developmental stage. And hackers could exploit this fragility to attack IoT devices.
IoT network not easy to defend
Unlike the computer network, the network of IoT objects is very difficult to defend. Enterprises should be able to cope with the many dangers that threaten different IoT devices, which is almost impossible to put into practice.
Little data for machine learning
Machine learning, or advanced learning, along with artificial intelligence, will improve enterprise security s. But the algorithms will have to be trained by big data, which at the moment is still not enough. There is no company, in fact, that can provide data platforms to train machine learning for IoT devices.