Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

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.

The use of publicly accessible MQTT brokers is prevalent across numerous verticals and technology fields. I was able to identify systems related to energy production, hospitality, finance, healthcare, pharmaceutical manufacturing, building management, surveillance, workplace safety, vehicle fleet management, shipping, construction, natural resource management, agriculture, smart homes and far more.

One of the major improvements that the avionics industry is undergoing is an Internet of Things (IoT) upgrade. And this is inevitably affecting how airlines approach aircraft safety. From the beginning, safety has been paramount to the aviation industry. But while it is a welcome innovation, the incorporation of IoT devices in aircraft comes with attendant challenges that are not unrelated to cybersecurity risks. Safety for aircraft no longer rests upon physical security.

An estimated 38 billion devices are connected to the internet this year, highlighting the fact that the Internet of Things (IoT) is not a farfetched futuristic concept, but the reality for most of the modern world. Many of these connected devices are toys that children enjoy, but no matter how fun they may be, challenges have come to the surface due to privacy concerns and socio-political issues pertaining to gender-neutral toys.

A few weeks, ago, technology news site The Verge reported on a new Ring security camera that is in fact a drone that flies around inside your house. Available beginning next year, the ‘Always Home Cam’ is supposed to give its owners a total view of their home without the need for multiple cameras. Those worried about break-ins or other kinds of suspicious activities may like the idea of being a fly on the wall in any room inside the house, even when they’re away from home.