The tech world seems to be gearing up for the fourth industrial revolution with an estimated 20 billion Internet of Things devices expected to be deployed by the year 2020. While these technical marvels are being designed to streamline our day-to-day lives, they are also making our lives highly vulnerable to critical cyber attacks.
The privileged access that comes with Smart homes, Smart gadgets or Smart cars may tempt you into buying one. However, what we conveniently fail to acknowledge is the threat it can cause, if you fail to be updated with the latest developments associated with these smart devices.
Thus, as we enjoy the millennial generation where the game is all about shaping and shipping the next smart product, overlooking the security measures associated with these products can prove to be a complete game changer!
It is extremely important to realize that leaving even one of these products unsecured, can create a critical entry point to an unmanageable breach of security.
If that’s enough an information to ring a bell especially for business owners and enterprises, who have come to rely on IoT devices for their big and small needs, then here’s what your security professionals can do to safeguard your business from the potential threats of IoT Cyber attack:
Apply Access Control & Authentication
Most businesses live under the impression that being smart devices, they can simply forget about the IoT devices once they have been deployed. However, what they fail to realize is the conduit environment in which they leave these devices that makes them utterly vulnerable to easy attacks by unauthorized users.
It is thus extremely important that you apply authentication and access control to all your IoT devices once deployed. Moreover, these authentications should be routinely checked and updated throughout the life of the device in the form of bug fixes, software version updates, maintenance, etc., so that no unusual activity goes unnoticed.
Govern Passwords
In line with authenticating your IoT devices, it is also important to govern the passwords typically associated with each IoT device. Make it a point to monitor and reset passwords on a regular basis, to prevent unauthorized access to any vital information.
Establish Restricted Privilege
In order to mitigate potential threats, businesses strictly need to restrict the access of their IoT devices to only information that they need to function properly. For Eg: Your smart scanner or smart printer doesn’t require to have access to your company’s financial reports or threat reports. By employing firewalls and restricted permissions, you can easily prevent the access of your IoT devices to any privileged information that could cause liability for your business or enterprise.
Manage & Monitor Devices
Given the vulnerability associated with IoT devices, it is essential to manage and monitor these devices round-the-clock, to keep a constant tab on unauthorized activities. Machines being highly unpredictable devices, with little monitoring and some timely updates, you can easily identify any unusual activity that may lead to a possible malicious threat.
Thus, with a strategic access management approach and a few timely initiatives, you can easily prevent your business and enterprise from potential threats and cyber attacks, while enjoying your privileged access to endless IoT devices.
As an IT security partner for your business, Seqrite provides comprehensive security from advanced cyber threats. To know more
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