IoT Security By The Numbers
Some recent stats on adoption rates and perceptions about risks surrounding the Internet of Things.
May 19, 2016
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With wearable devices, smart building components and other embedded devices exploding into the enterprise network, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot-button topic for many security folks. The hockey stick growth of IoT devices and sensors will require teams to adjust their strategies and Gartner predicts that by 2020, IoT security will make up 20 percent of annual security budgets. Here are a few statistics about the risks posed by IoT growth.
The risk is real with IoT and its growing. According to figures compiled within a recent Symantec Internet Security Threat Report, there are 25 connected devices per 100 inhabitants in the US. That's only bound to grow, with estimates reaching over 20 billion total devices by 2020.
As things stand, most enterprises today have a hard time even getting out of the gate with IoT security because they can't even get a bead on how many connected devices they're dealing with or where they exist. A recent survey by AT&T shows that methods of discovery are all over the map, with about half of organizations essentially just estimating in some way or another.
Spiceworks recently polled IT professionals to figure out their sentiments on IoT security. Respondents ranked which devices posed the greatest risk of security threat and interestingly, wearable devices topped the list. Some respondents mentioned concern of outsider hijacking of these devices that could enable an attacker to eavesdrop or easily steal data from the network.
It's still too early to tell if it is just lip service or not, but among IoT developers the awareness of security concerns is top of mind. A recent IEEE survey of these specialized developers put security above interoperability, connectivity and performance.
According to IT leaders, customer privacy trumps all other IoT security concerns, but other common issues include the expanding attack surface afforded by IoT devices, figuring out how to institute regulatory controls and data ownership, according to a study done by Quocirca.
During these early days, many security departments are struggling to find ways to secure devices and the data that flows from and through them. Fewer than half of organizations utilize any one of the most common controls, with analysis of logs and event alerts being the most commonly used, according to a Tripwire survey.
Meanwhile, consumers may not have a lot of control over how secure some of their IoT devices are but many are doing their best to lock them down. These practices include changing passwords, avoiding storing sensitive or classified data and changing privacy settings where possible, according to ISACA.
Meanwhile, consumers may not have a lot of control over how secure some of their IoT devices are but many are doing their best to lock them down. These practices include changing passwords, avoiding storing sensitive or classified data and changing privacy settings where possible, according to ISACA.
With wearable devices, smart building components and other embedded devices exploding into the enterprise network, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a hot-button topic for many security folks. The hockey stick growth of IoT devices and sensors will require teams to adjust their strategies and Gartner predicts that by 2020, IoT security will make up 20 percent of annual security budgets. Here are a few statistics about the risks posed by IoT growth.
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