For most internet users, there’s not much of a perceivable difference between the domain name they want to visit and the server that the domain queries. That’s because the Domain Name System (DNS) protocol does a good job of seamlessly routing users to different IP addresses that are all associated with a single domain name.
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) products refer to a combination of medical applications and devices connected to healthcare information technology systems through an online computer network or a wireless network. IoMT devices rely heavily on biosensors, critical in detecting an individual's tissue, respiratory, and blood characteristics. Non-bio sensors are also used to measure other patient characteristics such as heart and muscle electrical activity, motion, and body temperature.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a reality. Gartner forecasts 25 billion IoT devices by 2021, and other industry sources and analysts predict even larger numbers. Although projections of unprecedented growth are ubiquitous among industry pundits, the efforts to secure this tsunami of connected devices are in their infancy. The IoT is still relatively new, so it lacks regulations that mandate security.
When it comes to cybersecurity, industrial IT—consisting mainly of operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS)—has failed to keep up with development in the enterprise IT world. That’s mostly because industries’ adoption of internet technology has been slower when compared with enterprises. It would take some time to close the gap, but concerted efforts have already been made to upgrade the security of industrial IT and improve the efficiency of OT and ICS.
Organizations are increasingly introducing new Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their environments. According to Statista, the aggregate number of IoT devices deployed by organizations globally increased from 7.74 billion in 2019 to around 8.74 billion a year later. The market and consumer data firm reported that the next few years will see growth in all types of IoT devices, including Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) offerings like smart monitors.
From smart homes that enable you to control your thermostat from a distance to sensors on oil rigs that help predict maintenance to autonomous vehicles to GPS sensors implanted in the horns of endangered black rhinos, the internet of things is all around you. The internet of things (IoT) describes the network of interconnected devices embedded with sensors, software, or other technology that exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
The IoT Cybersecurity Act, which aims to reduce the supply chain risk to the federal government arising from vulnerable IoT devices, was recently passed into law, and its effects are expected to carry over into private enterprise. Critics felt the law was long overdue: as found in the Nokia Threat Intelligence Report 2020, IoT devices are now responsible for 32.72% of all infections observed in mobile networks, representing an increase of 16.55% since 2019 alone.
If high-tech gadgets are on your holiday shopping list, it is worth taking a moment to think about the particular risks they may bring. Under the wrong circumstances, even an innocuous gift may introduce unexpected vulnerabilities. In this blog series, VERT will be looking at some of the Internet’s best-selling holiday gifts with an eye toward their possible security implications.
