Media Relations for a Connected World
What is really needed to secure the Internet of Industrial Things
10.01.2015 12:12
The Internet of Secure Industrial Things
How to secure industrial and factory automation systems and devices. Icon Labs contributed article at Automation.com.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a ubiquitous term to describe the tens of billions of
devices that have sensing or actuation capabilities, and are connected to each other via the
Internet. The IoT includes everything from wearable fitness bands and smart home appliances to
factory control devices, medical devices and even automobiles. Security has not been a high
priority for these devices until now. It is now time to establish The Internet of Secure Things.
There has been a lot of discussion regarding the hacking of devices and systems to obtain
information and data. However, just as critical are cyber-attacks against the devices themselves -
attacks which take over control of the device and cause them to operate in dangerous and
insecure ways.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a ubiquitous term to describe the tens of billions of devices that have sensing or actuation capabilities, and are connected to each other via the Internet. The IoT includes everything from wearable fitness bands and smart home appliances to factory control devices, medical devices and even automobiles. Security has not been a high priority for these devices until now. It is now time to establish The Internet of Secure Things.
There has been a lot of discussion regarding the hacking of devices and systems to obtain information and data. However, just as critical are cyber-attacks against the devices themselves - attacks which take over control of the device and cause them to operate in dangerous and insecure ways.
Even though Industrial Automation and Critical Infrastructure devices are usually installed inside the secure perimeter of an enterprise network, that perimeter is porous and can be easily penetrated or disabled. On top of that, insider threats, whether malicious or accidental, make up 70% of cyber-attacks, and they usually originate inside that perimeter. It is necessary to secure the Things themselves.
