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.