IoT Security: What Is It? Six Techniques to Keep Your Tech Safe

Are you curious about IoT security and why it’s so popular? Even with the proliferation of IoT devices, which is still in its infancy compared to other new technologies, there is still a shortage of security measures for the approximately 10 billion active IoT devices.

With over 5200 IoT assaults occurring each month in 2021, ignoring IoT device security may be a company’s greatest mistake. If the attacker succeeds in taking down your company, there might be disastrous repercussions, including lawsuits, bankruptcies, and reputational damage.

Following the pandemic, companies have understood how critical it is to implement technology-driven solutions to boost efficiency and save operating expenses. But this widespread use also presents several security issues, which we will now address and provide workable solutions for.

IoT Security: What Is It?

“Internet of Things Security” (IoT Security) describes a set of security controls to counter typical software and hardware flaws in internet-connected devices. This combines two attack surfaces, software and hardware, unlike cybersecurity. Due to the unique construction of each piece of hardware, a special security strategy is required, which makes the entire process difficult and daunting. A mix of approaches covering a large assault surface is the only way out.

How to Keep IoT Devices Safe

We’ve talked about IoT security and why it’s critical to concentrate on this area. Now, let’s continue and examine in more detail a few popular IoT attack vectors and how hackers use them to initiate assaults.

1. Safe Interaction

Your devices must exchange and transmit encrypted data because unencrypted data makes it simpler for hackers to intercept and manipulate data in transit. Using the SSL protocol, dividing devices according to their security levels, and building secure connected device islands are the best ways to address this problem.

Investing in the appropriate SSL is strongly advised, as this will encrypt the in-transit communication tool. Basecamp Free Trail is a communication and project management solution. You may create a virtual room on Basecamp to manage collaborative tasks. The ideal way to protect several first-level subdomains under the selected main domain is to purchase and install a wildcard SSL certificate. We recommend choosing a Comodo SSL wildcard certificate if you’re searching for an affordable yet high-quality wildcard SSL.

2. Security of Passwords

Manufacturers of Internet of Things devices typically provide default login credentials, which users should modify before utilizing. The devices often have one of the five username/password combinations (sometimes called the five IoT default authentication sets): user/user, root/12345, admin/admin, support/support, or admin/0000. 15% of IoT device users are shocked to hear that they still use the factory-installed usernames and passwords on their devices.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that password-related attacks against Internet of Things devices have an incredibly high success rate. The fact that security lapses are intentionally caused by tinkering with those five IoT default authentication setups is even more startling. Changing the default login credentials to anything longer than eight characters, all lowercase, mixed case, and containing special characters, is the only method to thwart these assaults.

3. Turn off UPnP

Introduced a decade ago, the universal plug-and-play (UPnP) capability functioned successfully until it encountered security issues. Hackers started taking advantage of it to breach secure networks and cause mayhem. If you are unfamiliar, it’s time for a quick introduction to the UPnP.

By forwarding a port on the router, the UPnP function enables devices to automatically recognize each other on a network protocol and connect without any problems. With additional devices connected to the router, this might lead to all the issues you wish to avoid. Setting up a connection with an infected device is where the problem starts, even if UPnP is safe (assuming all of your apps and devices are up to date).

Therefore, malware in an IoT device can quickly propagate to other nearby devices linked to the router or vice versa. Turning off this feature is the only way to stop hackers from using one of the most common methods to get into a secured network for various malicious purposes.

4. Apply a Device Patch

IoT manufacturers also offer security patches, which many consumers are unaware of; it’s possible that the gadget you recently acquired isn’t running the most recent version. The Internet of Things (IoT) sector is still in its early stages, yet reputable firms that care about consumer safety exist.

Therefore, obtain and install your device’s most recent security patch during the device’s setup process from the vendor’s website. Additionally, make it a regular habit to ensure you don’t miss any upcoming releases, significantly lowering the danger.

5. Keep an eye on your IoT devices.

Sadly, few companies know that internet-connected IoT devices are just as vulnerable to assaults as any software program. Thus, by taking advantage of IoT gadgets, hackers may utilize them to breach secured networks.

If your company uses Internet of Things devices, watch network data entering and leaving the system. Using an AI-based threat detection and response solution that can keep an eye on the whole IT network and Internet of Things devices is the simplest approach to accomplish this. This security system must detect unusual activity in real-time and react to it immediately.

Last thought

As we’ve already covered, there’s a steady rise in the quantity of IoT assaults targeted at companies. This is mostly because more businesses depend on IoT devices to boost productivity and cut expenses following the outbreak. Because company owners neglected to give their IoT devices the attention they needed, assaults on IoT devices increased during this time. We’ve covered all you need to know about securing IoT devices and overcoming their inherent weaknesses and vulnerabilities. By putting these precautions in place, you can quickly stop many IoT threats and increase the security of your IT infrastructure.

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