(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) There is no escaping the Internet of Things (IoT) in today's hyper-connected world. According to a recent Cisco report, there were about 200 million things connected to the Internet in the year 2000. By 2020, there will be around seven connected devices for every person in the world. The number of connected entities - people or items or smart devices - is estimated to increase to 500 billion by 2030.
That's great connectivity. But with great connectivity comes an even greater threat of cyberattacks. Every node on a network is a potential entry point for a hacker. The weakest link in the security chain is always the end-user, more so in a connected home, the least secure place, cybersecurity-wise.
The prospect of commanding your appliances remotely sounds appealing, but imagine what would happen if a cybercriminal gets his hands on this data - say, the feed from your CCTV or access to your home's security settings?
"If the person installing cameras at home is not familiar with the risks or even the fact that the camera is able to provide the feed to Internet, he might not enable all security options or even change the default password. Today, there are thousands of cameras available in the Internet for anyone to access because of this problem. If the attacker is able to identify the source of the video, it would be easy to identify when the owner is not home and physically break in to the property," warns Kalle Bjorn, director, systems engineering, Fortinet.
For commercial property, what if an attacker gains access to thermostats located in hundreds of hotel rooms and sets it on high temperature? He could cause massive disturbance to customers. Or a scenario where the attacker is able to switch off the AC in the server room? Gaining access to the data and systems of an entire building could be catastrophic.
"Connectivity and automation create entry points for cyber attacks with potential safety, continuity, quality and privacy impacted," observes Dr Adham Sleiman, vice-president, Booz Allen Hamilton.
"There is a vast array of IoT devices in the market that might not be secure enough due to the increasing competition that makes them rush and many vendors might not spend enough time to fortify their devices. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly more innovative and set their sights higher. Therefore, it is vitally important that IT security solutions installed in smart buildings must be able to detect, stop and eliminate the threat without impacting on the operations of the building," says Dimitris Raekos, general manager of ESET Middle East, a provider of threat-detection software.
In their bid to save on margins, several developers pick smart building technology based on price rather than security or fail to follow the manufacturers' recommendations during implementation. This could be a key loophole to compromising the building's security.
"Wi-Fi is one element that is constantly exploited to break into a building's network or to gain access to residents' premises. The human factor is largely relied on as the only means to secure the premise, along with CCTV cameras. However, there are times when CCTV networks can be hacked into. Security needs to go well beyond CCTV to deploy systems that ensure a smart and highly secure connected environment comprising access control to premises as well as managing the identities of the residents," suggests Wisam Yaghmour, regional sales director - MEA, HID Global.
So, how does one fortify one's home network against cyber criminals? To start off, it is very important to secure your W-Fi network with a strong password. Just purchasing IT security software or hardware is not enough. Installing security software in compatible devices is crucial, especially smartphone protection is critical as most of the IoT devices are managed by mobile apps.
"Identification of IoT devices and proper updates to the latest firmware is required. It may be necessary to consult support resources for your router, or contact your Internet service provider if you lease or own a device provided by them, to resolve certain issues within your home network," informs Raekos.
Users must understand what the features are on household gadgets and ensure the security features are enabled.
"It becomes imperative for consumers to educate themselves on how to protect their data and devices. It is also important to understand that all connected objects in the home will generally be linked to services provided by services and cloud providers. Keeping the connected devices behind a firewall or router will only help if your home network is secure. If for whatever reason, your network is not correctly configured, the devices you are trying to protect from the rest of the Internet will find themselves vulnerable," suggests Scott Manson, cyber security leader - Middle East and Africa, Cisco.
The first step is to have an efficient access control system for residents. This can include the use of smart cards or a mobile access solution.
"A mobile solution allows residents to store their access credentials on their mobile phones and securely open a door by tapping it to a receiver or wireless lock to enter and exit the premises, use parking or operate the smart appliances within homes," adds Yaghmour.
"Create a customised security network for homes that identifies local smart devices, tracks their activity and establishes a pattern of normal behaviour so that it can alert residents if there is a security risk," Dr Sleiman concludes.
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Deepthi Nair I cover all things related to real estate in the UAE. Working as a print journalist in Dubai since 2008, I have reported on all the flashy new projects in town. Dubai's passion for setting new records continues to amaze me. I love to do stories that strike a chord with the average expatriate in the UAE. If you have any news related to your community or rents, you know who to get in touch with at Khaleej Times. When I am not working, I travel, catch up with friends, mall trawl, catch up on movies, explore new places in town or just unwind in a spa. Originally from India, I have been a journalist for more than 11 years. Language has been my forte right from school. That's me in a nutshell
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