Interscale Content Hub – The Internet of Things (IoT) is that cool, seamless integration of smart devices into our homes, workplaces, and daily routines. The problem with those integrations is how to secure IoT devices.
From thermostats and security cameras to wearable fitness trackers and industrial sensors, the rise of IoT devices has brought us unprecedented convenience and efficiency.
And yes, this interconnectedness also makes it easier for cyber threats to attack, which is why IoT security is a top concern.
To keep personal data safe, protect critical infrastructure, and stop cyberattacks, we really need to know how to secure IoT devices.
What are IoT Devices?
IoT devices are everyday objects like toasters or thermostats that connect to the internet, allowing for remote monitoring and control.
Some examples of IoT devices are smart home devices like thermostats, security cameras, and wearable fitness trackers, as well as industrial equipment like sensors and control systems.
These devices usually connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks, sharing data to make them more efficient and user-friendly.
Common Security Threats to IoT Devices
One of the biggest worries is unauthorized access. Many IoT devices have weak passwords or lack proper encryption, making them easy targets for attackers.
If you don’t have strong passwords and encryption, hackers can easily gain control of these devices.
A study by cybersecurity company Symantec via Tech Monitor found 55% of passwords on Internet of Things devices are 123456.
Manufacturers and users alike should make sure they use strong, unique passwords to enhance IoT security.
Another big threat is data interception. If data sent between IoT devices and their servers isn’t encrypted, it could be intercepted by someone trying to do you harm.
Another thing to watch out for is data interception. If data is sent between IoT devices and their servers without encryption, it could be intercepted by malicious actors.
It’s not uncommon for IoT devices to not use encryption when transmitting data. This makes personal and sensitive information vulnerable to being accessed and used in a malicious way.
Then there’s the issue of device manipulation, where attackers gain control over IoT devices. This can cause devices to malfunction or be used in botnet attacks, which can disrupt services and cause a lot of damage.
For example, the Mirai botnet attack in 2016 affected thousands of IoT devices, causing internet outages.
Another big issue is firmware vulnerabilities. If there’s no update for the firmware, it can have security flaws that attackers can exploit.
Yes, IoT devices are vulnerable to firmware attacks. So, keeping firmware up to date means that security patches can be applied to close vulnerabilities.
One of the risks with IoT devices that collect personal data is that they can be used to invade your privacy. If you don’t take the right precautions, this information could end up in the wrong hands.
For instance, smart home devices can collect data on users’ habits and routines, which could be exploited if the device is compromised.
Why IoT Devices are Vulnerable
There are a few main reasons why IoT devices are vulnerable. For sure, These vulnerabilities make IoT devices a tempting target for cybercriminals.
In the paper “Elevating Smart Industry Security: An Advanced IoT-Integrated Framework for Detecting Suspicious Activities using ELM and LSTM Networks,” Dr. Mohammad Eid Alzahrani looks at these vulnerabilities, which include limited computational power, default configurations, lack of updates, and inconsistent security standards.
Firstly, a lot of IoT devices are designed with limited computational power. This limits what can be done to make these devices secure, as they often lack the processing power to handle advanced encryption and security protocols.
For instance, lightweight IoT devices like sensors or smart home gadgets prioritize energy efficiency and cost over security features, making them more susceptible to attacks.
Secondly, many IoT devices ship with weak default configurations. Manufacturers often use easy-to-guess default usernames and passwords.
Users rarely change these default settings, leaving devices vulnerable to unauthorized access.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) states in “Tips to secure your Internet of Things device“ that changing default credentials can reduce this risk.
Thirdly, not keeping IoT devices up to date makes them more vulnerable. Many devices aren’t updated with new software, leaving them vulnerable to known vulnerabilities.
Finally, the IoT market is pretty fragmented, with different manufacturers and devices having different levels of security.
This inconsistency makes it hard to ensure that all devices meet a minimum security threshold because security practices are not standardized.
For your guideline of firewalls, kindly read “Firewall in Network Security: Fundamental Tips to Keep Your Network Safe.”
Best Practices for Securing IoT Devices
First and foremost, you need to change the default credentials. Users should replace the default usernames and passwords with strong, unique credentials to prevent unauthorized access.
This really simple step can really help improve the security of IoT devices.
Another important thing to do is enable encryption. If you make sure that data sent between the device and the server is encrypted using things like SSL/TLS, you can protect against data interception.
The ACSC says that a lot of IoT devices don’t use encryption, so your data could get into the wrong hands.
Updates are essential to protect against known vulnerabilities. The manufacturers should provide updates to fix any security flaws, and users should apply these updates as soon as they’re available.
Another thing you can do is disable any unnecessary features, which can also help to reduce the number of potential attack vectors.
If you don’t need remote access, cameras, or microphones, it’s best to turn them off to keep your data safe.
Finally, you can also use a separate network for IoT devices to keep them isolated from the main network and sensitive data.
This helps make sure that if an IoT device is compromised, it can’t give access to other devices or data.
Segmenting your network can stop malware from spreading and limit the damage of a security breach.
For your IRP guide, you can read “How to Make a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan for Stay Protected.”
Advanced IoT Security Measures
Traditional security solutions often don’t cut it when it comes to keeping up with the complex and ever-changing threats these devices face.
Dr. Mohammad Eid Alzahrani’s research paper looks at some new ways to make IoT security stronger.
Another great security measure is to integrate Extreme Learning Machines (ELM) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. This approach really helps to spot suspicious activities in real time.
By using ELM’s quick learning abilities and LSTM’s memory retention, the framework can accurately identify and categorize suspicious activities with a 97.5% improvement in accuracy compared to traditional methods like Conv 1D and 3D CNN.
The framework Dr. Alzahrani came up with uses ELM to extract features from high-dimensional IoT data streams.
ELM is known for being able to learn quickly and handle large datasets well. This is especially useful in IoT environments where devices are constantly generating tons of data.
ELM is great for quickly processing and analyzing this data, which makes it perfect for real-time security applications.
Dr. Mohammad Eid Alzahrani also incorporated LSTM networks to manage the temporal aspects of IoT data. LSTMs are a type of recurrent neural network (RNN) that can remember information for a long time.
They can effectively model long-term dependencies in data sequences, which is essential for identifying patterns that could indicate a security threat.
The combination of ELM and LSTM networks lets the framework spot subtle and complex behavioral trends in IoT data, which helps the system respond to security incidents proactively.
The ELM-LSTM framework was put to the test on a big, real-world dataset simulating smart industry scenarios.
The results showed that the ELM-LSTM framework was much better at spotting and categorizing suspicious activities than the usual methods.
This framework is great for handling large amounts of data and spotting anomalies, which makes it a solid choice for boosting IoT security in industrial settings.
The practical implications of these findings are pretty big. This advanced framework can help industries keep their IoT-enabled systems safe from new threats, so they can keep their critical infrastructure safe.
This proactive approach to security can help you avoid serious problems before they happen, giving you a solid defense against the ever-changing world of cyber threats.
Another important part of advanced IoT security is being able to spot and stop threats before they happen.
By continuously monitoring IoT data in real-time, the ELM-LSTM framework can identify anomalies and potential security threats as they arise.
This enables swift responses to mitigate risks and prevent breaches from occurring. The integration of advanced machine learning techniques ensures that the system can adapt to new and evolving threats, maintaining robust security over time.
How to Secure IoT Devices With Ease
At Interscale, we offer all-in-one cybersecurity solutions to help you manage and secure your IoT devices.
We focus on proactive threat detection and robust security measures to help you protect your networks and devices from cyber threats.
With our cutting-edge tools and know-how, we make incident response a breeze. Our experts will put together a custom plan just for your organization.
Davey Water Products is a great example of how Interscale delivers effective cybersecurity solutions.
By teaming up with Interscale, Davey Water Products was able to beef up its cybersecurity and keep its most important assets safe from potential threats.
If you’d like to learn more about how Interscale can help you manage cybersecurity, check out our Interscale Cybersecurity Service page.
Or maybe you need help right now? Don’t hesitate to schedule a one-on-one with us! We’re here for you.
Conclusion
It’s really important to protect IoT devices because it helps to keep your network and personal information safe from cyber threats.
By spotting common weaknesses and using the best practices along with some top-notch security measures, you can cut the risk of attacks way down.
Comprehensive solutions on how to secure IoT devices, such as those from Interscale, help your business to benefit from IoT technology without having to compromise on security.
