In a world of stolen data and identities, we’re all on high alert to protect everything from our credit card numbers to healthcare records, which sell for up to $1,000 on the dark web according to a report from CBS news. We come up with clever passwords to lock our phones to ensure that personal data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. And we keep an eye on the phone itself so it isn’t stolen. It’s an unspoken effort we’re all pursuing to take back control of our assets – both digital and physical.
As diligent consumers, we expect organizations to protect our data with the same care and confidentiality. While most have the best of intentions to safeguard our information and comply with regulations (such as HIPAA), there a several loopholes that put data at risk. This risk is increased with IoT devices collecting and managing an exponentially increased amount of data. Now we need new and more sophisticated security measures.
Increasing Vulnerabilities
So how can you, as a business or technology leader, secure the increasing volume of IoT data your organization touches? Where are the vulnerabilities you need to address to secure information entrusted to you by your customers?
In many cases, IoT security is compromised due to lack of visibility into network traffic. When you put a SIM card into an IoT device, you often lose visibility into what it’s doing and the device’s health. Without visibility, many organizations don’t know that the device has been compromised or if it’s malfunctioning until it’s too late. By then, sensitive IoT data has already been exfiltrated, and your brand is at risk of reputational damage.
In some cases, such as a failed device or Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) traffic-flood attacks, you could also end up with expensive data overrun charges. This happens when an IoT device that infrequently transmits data is hacked and begins blasting a high quantity of transmissions.
Policing Your Network Traffic
The solution is to proactively monitor IoT network traffic. This will help you immediately detect when a device is compromised so you can mitigate the damage promptly. Deploy a device-level diagnostic and troubleshooting tool to gain this network visibility and receive actionable intelligence you need to protect your IoT devices and the data they transmit. This will mitigate security risks and reduce overage costs.
The ideal solution should provide visibility into live network traffic, along with data on recent trends. It should also include insight into device-oriented network conditions, such as IP address or port changes which often signal tampering or malfunctions. Data-rich reports should include interactive, customizable dashboards that deliver real-time visibility into live data traffic based on threat severity level.
With the right network diagnostic and troubleshooting tool in place, you’ll be able to set up complex rules and automated actions based on condition alerts. This will allow you to reactively suspend or deactivate devices and mitigate damage.
Next Steps
IoT has become a wild, wild west scenario for hackers, and it’s time for organizations to take back control of their network and data by deploying an intelligent network diagnostic and troubleshooting tool. With increased visibility into device behavior, you’ll be able to quickly identify breaches and accelerate resolutions to secure critical data and address vulnerabilities before they become a costly reality. Need help with IoT security? Learn more about KORE SecurityPro here.