If not, you should upgrade your IoT security to properly safeguard your devices.
According to data, cyberattacks on IoT devices increased sharply in 2018 and jumped by 300% the following year.
As more people, businesses, and organizations adopt IoT devices, the number keeps rising.
The key concern at this point is how to strengthen the security of these firm assets and gadgets while protecting them from online dangers.
While there isn’t a method that will completely guard against cyberattacks, you may strengthen your defenses by implementing IoT security best practices.
Read on to learn more about the six cybersecurity recommendations to safeguard your IoT devices from online dangers and create a more secure business network environment.
IoT Security: Security for network-based or internet-connected devices, such as security cameras, home automation systems, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) machines, is known as Internet of Things security, or IoT security.
IoT security seeks to safeguard connected networks and internet devices from threats and breaches by recognizing, monitoring, and defending against assaults while addressing security issues.
Strong IoT security protocols can shield your network from network compromises, data theft, and other intrusions.
Device developers, makers, and owners are responsible for IoT security to provide an effective defense against online attacks.
Research Before Buying IoT Devices
- Doing your homework before making a purchase is essential for securing your IoT devices.
- Before purchasing, review the security settings on the item or device.
- Because some IoT goods lack strong security, they may be simple to hack and infect with malware.
- For instance, WiFi routers may have security flaws that leave your IoT devices vulnerable to attack.
- To increase the IoT device’s defense against potential cyber threats, make sure the product’s security settings, such as the default password, may be customized.
Implement Secure Data and Access Control Management: Set up and plan IoT device data management and authentication from the beginning, taking into account the following crucial elements.
- remote entry. Create security protocols to safeguard and separate your live systems from development environments. By doing this, it becomes more difficult to assault and take down everything.
- Additionally, use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption to secure your WiFi networks.
- Authentication. Establish authentication procedures for your systems, devices, and data (both transferred and stored). Set strong authentication controls so that only people with the appropriate authorizations can access the settings and data on your device.
- Provide complete security. Consider using a more thorough approach to IoT security to address the entire lifecycle of data transmission, collecting, access, storage, use, and destruction.
- restrict permissions. To assist prevent unauthorized people from accessing your data and IoT devices, only deploy the necessary admin access limits. Let users in your organization access only the information they require to carry out their duties.
- Reduce the amount of data you gather and store. Minimize the personal information you gather, and only keep what is required for a specific period of time. By doing this, you may prevent sensitive data from being accessed through your IoT devices.
Ensure Regular Device Updates
- Out-of-date IoT devices lack the security updates that are available for devices with newer versions.
- They could develop into possible entry points for hackers trying to access your systems and networks and steal sensitive information.
- To make sure your IoT devices have the most recent security updates and bug fixes, update them frequently.
- Activate the auto-update function on the device (if it has one) to avoid having to do it manually.
- Check your devices frequently to determine if they need to be updated.
Turn off Unnecessary or Unused Features
- IoT device functionalities that you do not need to monitor can provide cybersecurity dangers.
- The secret to reducing potential risks is to turn off IoT device features and services that you don’t use or need.
- In order to prevent code injection attacks, disable features like open serial ports, unencrypted communications, TCP/UDP ports, unsecured radio connections, open password prompts, and any other location where a database or web server might be used.
Create an IoT Device Inventory
- See which IoT devices (and device kinds) are currently plugged into your network.
- Keep a complete and up-to-date list of all your connected assets.
- You can get a detailed view of everything connected to your network and systems by tracking your IoT assets, which makes it easier for you to identify and address security risks as soon as they arise.
- Every new IoT device that connects to your network should be added to your asset inventory.
- For simple tracking and maintenance, your IoT asset inventory should at the very least contain the device’s serial number, model and manufacturer IDs, and current software and firmware versions.