The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking the world by storm as interconnected devices fill workplaces and homes across the US. While the intention of these devices is always to make our lives easier, their ability to connect to the internet turns them into ticking time bombs, lying in wait until their weaknesses can be exploited by opportunistic hackers.

Personal data breaches are skyrocketing in America, increasing by 60% in the last year and by 157 percent since 2015. As our interconnectivity grows, so do the opportunities that our technology will be hacked. Since every IoT device is connected to the internet, each one is vulnerable to external access if not secured properly. In the rush to manufacture these devices and get them onto the market, security has been an afterthought which needs to be urgently addressed if the number of yearly data breaches is to be tackled.

Not only is the actual security of IoT devices under constant debate but recent news stories surrounding both the Amazon Alexa and Google Home products — central machines to most home IoT set-ups — show that even when used properly, the security implications of these devices can be suspect.

Though many expect IoT to revolutionize our everyday lives, the potential holes they open up in our security infrastructures could become an insurmountable problem if not dealt with soon.

Workplace IoT

IoT in the workplace can range from integrated systems such as air conditioning and security systems to Wi-Fi enabled coffee machines. But every point of access in a system has potential for weakness, meaning the more connected devices there are the harder it is to protect. Many believe that blockchain technology has the answer for IoT security issues due to its decentralized nature and the ability to timestamp and identify each connected device, allowing for more accurate access records and a more stable network where no central point is vulnerable.

The other key issue with workplace IoT is the necessity of regular updates to keep all devices secured. In working environments where machines are working 24/7, there is no time to take machines out of service to complete updates, meaning identified weaknesses can be left unresolved. This allows hackers multiple opportunities to exploit the insecurities in an individual device and gain access to the central network from there.

Creators of IoT devices will need to address the concerns of their consumers in order to create products which can be routinely secured and hold a high base standard of security.

Integrated homes

With an explosion of interconnected devices for the home comes a unique challenge that consumers are often completely oblivious to. Some IoT devices have no way to securely store the Wi-Fi password which connects them, meaning that a hacker who is able to gain access to this device can find the Wi-Fi password and exploit the entire network, risking data such as banking and personal details as well as general internet activity.

It’s unrealistic to expect consumers to use blockchain security for their washing machines and digital cameras so necessary security changes are going to have to start with the brands making the products. Ensuring that safety is properly considered before marketing any IoT device is the surest way to keep consumers’ data safe within their own network.

Google Home and Amazon Alexa

While not directly at the mercy of hackers, the recent revelations that recordings taken by both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home devices have been sent to human listeners within the company raises different privacy concerns. The companies have assured that the recordings have been shared with human employees for training and research purposes but as the recent leak shows, holding personal data on recordings makes it susceptible to malicious actors online.

Amazon have taken further steps to allow users to control how Alexa stores their data and have it deleted using voice commands, making it slightly easier to protect what you say in your own home. However, many consumers buy these products without thinking of the implications of keeping a device that is always listening in their home. Companies who produce home assistant speakers need to be more transparent with how they use consumer data and take further steps to ensure no sensitive personal data is kept in recordings to help reduce the number of data breaches each year.

Trials are set to begin in the UK by Natwest bank where Google Home users will be able to check their balance with their voice. As this follows immediately on from the leaked recordings, it seems there is still little concern for the ways in which we share our personal data with the devices we use. However, online security will likely become a much bigger topic in the future as the number of internet-enabled devices rises.

The Internet of Things is proving that technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. Although consumers will need to ensure that security is a high priority in order to protect their own data and data handled by organizations, the first step must be taken by manufacturers to ensure these products are created to high security standard.

Reference: https://betanews.com/2019/08/13/securing-iot-devices/

What are the Challenges of IoT Security?

IoT has many of the same security challenges that other systems have. There are, however, some challenges that are unique to IoT.

1. Embedded Passwords. Embedding passwords in IoT devices make it easy for remote support technicians to access devices for troubleshooting and simplifies the installation of multiple devices. Of course, it also simplifies access to devices for malicious purposes.

2. Lack of device authentication. Allowing IoT devices access to the network without authenticating opens the network to unknown and unauthorized devices. Rogue devices can serve as an entry point for attacks or even as a source of attacks.

3. Patching and upgrading. Some IoT devices do not provide a simple (or any) means to patch or upgrade software. This results in many IoT devices with vulnerabilities continuing to be in use.

4. Physical hardening. Physical access to IoT devices can introduce risk if those devices are not hardened against physical attack. Such an attack may not be intended to damage the device, but rather to extract information. Simply removing a microSD memory card to read its contents can give an attacker private data, as well as information such as embedded passwords that may allow access to other devices.

5. Outdated components. When vulnerabilities are discovered in hardware or software components of IoT devices, it can be difficult and expensive for manufacturers or users to update or replace them. As with patches, this results in many IoT devices with vulnerabilities continuing to be used.

6. Device monitoring and management. IoT devices do not always have a unique identifier that facilitates asset tracking, monitoring, and management. IT personnel do not necessarily consider IoT devices among the hosts that they monitor and manage. Asset tracking systems sometimes neglect to include IoT devices, so they sit on the network without being managed or monitored.

Most of these issues can be attributed to security being an afterthought (if a thought at all) in the design and manufacturing of IoT devices. Even those IoT developers who consider security in the design process struggle with implementation. Most IoT devices are limited by minimal processing power, memory, and data transfer speeds. This is a necessary evil in order to keep the size and cost of the devices small. Accordingly, security controls must be implemented to compensate for these inherent weaknesses.

The first step to implementing security controls is to determine where those controls are needed. This is another challenge for protecting IoT devices. Since IoT devices are often not recognized as network devices, they get overlooked when inventorying or mapping the network. If you do not know it is there, you cannot protect it.

Fortunately, IoT device manufacturers are beginning to address these issues, but organizations that are planning or currently using IoT cannot sit back and wait for that to happen. There are measures that organizations can take right now to protect their IoT devices and networks from attacks.

Security Requirements of IoT

Manufacturers and implementers must implement security practices to mitigate IoT risks. Steps can be taken to better secure IoT and address known risks.

Security Challenge	Solution
Embedded passwords	Rather than embedding passwords in their products, manufacturers should require users to create a strong password during device setup.
Lack of device authentication	Manufacturers should provide a means for their devices to authenticate to the network. IT personnel should require devices to authenticate before joining the network.
Patching and upgrading	Manufacturers need to make it easy for devices to be upgraded or patched. Ideally, this would be an automatic or one-click process.
Physical hardening	IoT devices should be made tamper-proof. Devices should be monitored to detect time offline and inspected after unexpectedly dropping offline.
Outdated components	Vulnerable devices should be updated or replaced. This can be difficult to remedy, especially in environments that have many IoT devices in remote locations. In those cases, tighter security controls and more vigilant monitoring should be implemented.
Device monitoring and management	Ensure that all IoT devices are included in asset tracking, monitoring, and management systems. Manufacturers should provide a unique identifier for each device.

Clearly, many of these security issues can only be resolved by the manufacturer. One that organizations’ security, IT, and OT teams can address is device management. It is up to those planning and/or implementing the rollout of IoT devices to ensure that they are accounted for in asset management, systems monitoring, security monitoring, and incident response systems.

Breaches and Hacks

There are two broad categories of attacks that involve IoT devices: those in which the IoT devices themselves are the end target of the attack, and those that use IoT devices to attack other targets. We have seen both types of attacks used in the real world and by security researchers as a proof of concept.

In October of 2016, an attack against Dyn, a company that provides DNS services, made much of the internet inaccessible. Twitter, Spotify, Github, Netflix, The New York Times, Paypal and other major websites were down for hours.

The attack used the Mirai IoT Botnet, taking control of over 600,000 IoT devices to flood Dyn with traffic in a massive DDoS attack. The devices seemed to be mostly routers and IP cameras. IP cameras are frequently targeted IoT devices.

In a scary example of an attack where the IoT device was the target, the “device” was a car. Fortunately, this was a controlled demonstration by security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek. They demonstrated the attack for Wired writer Andy Greenberg, who was driving a Jeep Cherokee.

Miller and Valasek, from miles away over a cellular internet connection, remotely turned on the A/C, radio, and windshield wipers. That was just the beginning. Next, they caused the Jeep to slow, remotely rendering the accelerator useless.

How to Secure IoT Systems and Devices

It is clear that IoT attacks can have serious consequences. Securing IoT systems and devices must be done by both the manufacturers and the organizations using them. The security controls that organizations can put in place are similar to the controls they already use on their network. The key to securing IoT is to know what IoT devices are on your network and where they are in your network topology. Until you know that, you are flying blind. You cannot protect what you cannot see.

One way to identify IoT devices on your network is to require all hosts and devices to authenticate when joining the network. Devices that fail authentication can then be identified. If they belong on the network, authentication can then be configured for that device. If they do not belong on the network, you have discovered a rogue device.

You can further secure IoT devices by segmenting the network and dedicating one segment to IoT. This will allow you to firewall that segment and apply IoT-specific rules. It would also allow you to quickly block traffic from that segment in the event that an IoT device is compromised.

Once you have IoT devices authenticated, you can then gain visibility into their activity using a cloud-native security monitoring and analytics platform like Sumo Logic. The Sumo Logic platform helps you make data-driven decisions and reduce the time to investigate security and operational issues so you can free up resources for more important activities. For even greater visibility into security events, integrated threat intelligence from Crowdstrike is included for up-to-date IOC data that can be quickly cross-correlated to identify threats in your environment.

Reference: https://www.sumologic.com/blog/iot-security/

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Address each of the FOUR IoT security steps listed below in terms of IoT devices. Explain in detail, in a step-by-step guide, how to make people more aware of t

What is the Internet of Things (IoT) and how can we secure it?

What are the Challenges of IoT Security?

Security Requirements of IoT

Breaches and Hacks

How to Secure IoT Systems and Devices

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