Media Solutions Manager, UBM

Author Bio ▼

Brian was appointed Editor of Security Management Today (SMT) in November 2000. In 2005, he received the BSIA Chairman's Award for Promoting The Industry and, a year later, the Skills for Security Special Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Security Business Sector. In 2008, Brian was nominated for the ASC's Imbert Prize and was a finalist in the 2012 George van Schalkwyk Award. An Honorary Fellow of The Security Institute and a judge for numerous industry awards, Brian became the Editor of SMT Online in late 2008 and was also promoted to Group Content Editor for UBM Live's Security Portfolio (focusing on the IFSEC SELECT end user programme, the Security Excellence Awards, conferences and webinars). Now the Media Solutions Manager for UBM Live's Security and Fire Portfolio, Brian is actively pioneering developments in live events and digital media.
April 10, 2014

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Heartbleed-Style Crises Will Worsen as Internet of Things Expands

businessman touching screen of smartphoneThe ‘internet of things’ is becoming a buzz phrase that resonates with consumers as well as the technically minded.

As technology and telecommunications are making products, services and amenities ever more interlinked, so consumers are becoming more intrigued about the connected world and how it can make their lives more efficient.

Beyond automating light bulbs and controlling the TV with your smartphone, there are also opportunities for transport networks, for example, to operate through machine-to-machine (M2M) data transfer.

However, this raises the spectre of serious disruption should a security breach occur within the data network.

Such concerns have only been heightened by the ‘heartbleed’ bug that has caused panic in the digital world in the past week. A security vulnerability in OpenSSL software, the bug has already allowed hackers to steal passwords and personal messages from Mumsnet and thousands of social security numbers from Canada’s tax authority.

As more everyday devices and parts of our infrastructure are integrated with the internet, the scope for disruption widens. And there will be disruption; as James Lyne wrote in Forbes about the Heartbleed bug, “there never will be a state of 100% security”.

As technology looks to become even more embedded and relied upon in the physical world, risk mitigation needs to be enforced to prevent any potential disaster scenarios that could occur. If the computers controlling systems and networks of this scale are infiltrated, the consequences could well be catastrophic.

Now it has been seen what is technologically possible through M2M and RFID, and what can be achieved, the primary question on everyone’s mind should be: ‘How secure is it?’

The Internet of Things is no longer just a concept – it is working in action. As scenarios become more complex, the risk of security breaches escalates.

Integrated approach

It can be difficult to pinpoint an expert who is best placed to advise on how to safeguard a given network. In reality, it’s a collective of experts in their respective fields.

Device manufacturers, data analysts, network engineers and security professionals all need to work together to take an integrated approach.

From securing equipment through physical measures, handling database security, monitoring and securing the network traffic, this all needs to be incorporated within the overall security system.

This isn’t a simple process and education is needed within businesses between the IT and security teams to create an integrated approach.

Understanding the process from end-to-end can often be overlooked, and mistakes or ‘holes’ that occur along the way can lead to thieves and hackers seizing an opportunity that could have been avoided.

Anthony Leather – Consultant for Aerospace, Defence and Security at Frost & Sullivan – will discuss how the Internet of Things has changed security priorities in the IFSEC Academy session ‘Smart Technology: driving the creation of Safe Cities’ at IFSEC International on 19 June.

Presenting an overview of smart technologies (including 4G LTE, PSIM, C3i and others), Leather will detail how security managers might align security with business strategy.

This is a necessary step that network engineers and IT professionals must take into account when planning their strategies. Implementing these technologically advanced systems will only continue to evolve and the security implications must be accounted for early on.

IFSEC International is the world’s leading security event. Taking place from 17-19 June at ExCeL London it showcases solutions for IT & cyber security and all other major security fields, from access control to safe cities and video surveillance.

Register to attend IFSEC International 2014 for free 

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Peter Houlis CSyP MSyI
April 22, 2014 3:46 pm

Another excellent article Brian and one I empathize with having written articles pushing the issue of developing partnership arrangements. If we are to capitalize on technological advances there is a clear need to develop much closer and stronger relationships between IT and security professionals, as well as the wider business organisation. As a security integrator, I appreciate first hand that this is difficult to achieve.  Many IT people believe adding a few security devices to a network simple; to them they are humble edge devices. However, they often fail to understand the full security implications and requirements. Conversely, many security people know too little about IT… Read more »