There are a number of challenges that come with developing an IoT device, and one that always draws attention is security. The reality is the number of unsecured IoT devices is becoming increasingly apparent with the upsurge in breaches, from 639 million in 2020 to a whopping 1.5 billion in 2021.
But despite there being recent developments in regulations and standardization, such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act or the National Cybersecurity Strategy in the US, governments haven’t moved fast enough leaving the door unsecure and provides hackers the opportunity to gain access to organizational data and networks.
Here are 3 common challenges that face IoT security:
- Limitations of expertise in-house
- Onboarding and deployment of security measures
- On-going management of the devices
1. Limitations of Expertise In-House
Finding experts in IoT who also understand security, hardware and user requirements is extremely tough. The level of expertise required is specialized and as the IoT market grows the demand for professionals has sharply increased, but not at a par with the supply. Having the right skillset to execute the project is important, but if you have a team who understands the security solutions too, it’s a luxury.
2. Onboarding and Deployment of Security Measures
If you’ve already found limitations with in-house expertise, this challenge is quite likely to impact your IoT project too. IoT devices often demand bespoke solutions meaning, onboarding and deploying security measures can require some specialist knowledge. Not only is having some understanding of the technology that supports the chosen security measure, it’s ensuring its deployed correctly.
3. On-going Management of the Devices
It’s an achievement in any technology development project when the device is complete and out to market. But what about the on-going management of those devices? This largely depends on the end user and target market, but in something like an industrial setting there will need to be on-going management of the devices. Many business struggle to maintain or automate updates, and can lead to an open door for threat actors.
Solving IoT Security Challenges
When it comes to developing and managing IoT devices, security is of the utmost importance. By using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital identity, you can simplify the process of onboarding and deployment, plus if you choose a third-party to support your IoT project, you gain access to a team of experts to ensure devices are secure. What’s more, with PKI, you can rest easy without concern for manual certificate management as there are solutions which automate it for you.
To learn more about the best practices in overcoming these challenges and why you should choose PKI for IoT security, why not watch our webinar?
