The development demand of IoT applications is going to a new level all over the world with the rapidly growing innovations
in technology. According to the current statistics, global IoT spending will be estimated at $1.1 trillion. It is definitely creating
an increased surge in cutting edge usage of IoT solutions and apps and rapidly increasing IoT security challenges with each passing moment.
While the manufactures kept building new IoT devices, the cause of security concern was kept in mind by many. As the
demand for IoT increased, the concern for IoT device security has been highlighted too, and the inevitable consequences
for allowing attacks at small or large scale. The attacks usually originated from minor problems in security like the retention
of the levant passwords on the service telnet. Here are some of the IoT security challenges that businesses face while manufacturing and launching new IoT devices.
Incorrect Control of Access
The services that the IoT devices offer should only be accessible by the owner and the people that are part of the immediate environment that can be trusted. Yet most IoT devices have a flawed system for enforcement of security.
The local network may be trusted by the IoT devices, which doesn’t require any authentication or authorization. Any other connected device is also authorized by the system, which is the major problem when it comes to devices that are connected through the Internet, allowing anyone over the globe to access the system offered by that device.
Another problem is that the devices with the same model are delivered with the default passwords. The firmware or default settings are commonly the same for all the identical machines with the same model. Acknowledging the fact that most users do not change the password can gain access to all the devices in the same series.
The IoT devices usually have the same account and can be exposed to users both internally and externally. That means when this access is gained, there won’t be any security remaining, and the protection against vulnerability will fail.
Insufficient Testing and Updates
Right now, more than 23 billion IoT devices are working all over the world, and the number will multiply to over 60 billion by the end of 2025. This massive increase will come with a cost. And one of the significant IoT security challenges that are faced by the tech companies today in manufacturing the devices is that they don’t care much about handling security risks related to the devices. Most IoT devices are not updated on time, and some don’t get updates at all.
This means that a device that was thought to be secure at the time of purchase becomes prone to hacking, and the customer faces other security concerns. The early problems were somewhat resolved with the feature of automatic updating.
Unfortunately, the manufactures of IoT devices are still focusing on producing and delivering the devices beforehand without giving too much attention to the security of the device. Most of the updates offered by the firms last for a short time period and stop as soon as they start to work on the other gadget. Some even use legacy Linux kernels that are not even supported. This leaves the once trusted widget exposed to attacks due to outdated system security.
Overlay Large Attack Surface
Every new connection that is made on the system gives more opportunities to an attacker for discovering and exploit the vulnerabilities of the IoT device. As the system starts offering more services on the Internet, it starts getting more prone to attacks. These are commonly known as surface attacks. One of the initial steps for securing the IoT device should be minimizing the attack surface.
Operations that are not required strictly should be processed by the devices that may have open ports. The unnecessary service could be prevented against the attack by not exposing it. Many services play a vital role like Telnet, SSH or debug interface in the development, but these are rarely a necessity in the production of an IoT device.
Lack of Encryption
With the help of a Man-in-the-Middle or MitM, the backend service or information that has been communicated with the client device can be obtained in the form of plain text. Anybody who can possibly get the path in network position among the device and the endpoint can gain access to the network traffic and get its hands on critical data like the credentials for the login.
A common issue in this category is using a version having plain text for a protocol such as HTTP where the HTTPS is accessible as the encrypted version. A Man-in-the-Middle or MiiT attack is when the attacker or hacker can take secret access to the system and then take advantage of the communications by altering the method of communication without the acknowledgement of either of the parties involved.
The data can even be encrypted; if the data is not fully encrypted or configured correctly, the risk of attack is always involved. For instance, the IoT device’s authenticity of recognizing the other party can fail even when the encrypted connection is used. It can still be vulnerable for the attack by the MiiT or Man-in-the-Middle even with the encrypted connection.
The vulnerable data should be sealed by proper encryption when stored on an IoT device. The weaknesses of the device, including the poor encryption by API token storage or plain text credentials on a device, should be resolved. Other issues include weak cryptographic algorithm usage or unintended usage of algorithms.
Insecure Interfaces
Processing and communication of data are one of the key features of all IoT devices. IoT devices need apps, protocols, and services for communication and the majority of these devices use patches for security that are taken from interfaces that are insecure. The most common issues with those interfaces are lack of authentication and weak or no encryption of insufficient devices, which results in the security challenges that the businesses face.
Poor IoT Device Management
Internet of Things (IoT) and Internet of Medical Things are devices that are enabled for the services in retail, medical,
life science, and manufacturing departments. But across the various sets of object connections, this shows an extraordinary amount of weaknesses that can be used by the attackers. Poor security issues of IoT systems, including computed tomography machines and magnetic resonance imaging devices, are mainly responsible for the lack of security.
This lack of IoT security challenges can lead to various attacks resulting in:
- Operation disruption
- Customer data and security compromisation
- Bad financial situations
- Damage to market reputation
Application Vulnerabilities
Taking responsibility for the fact that the software has weaknesses is the first step in securing the IoT devices and resolving
the IoT security challenges. The bugs in the software can work as triggers for attacks. This can initially be a way for an
attacker to run its own code in the device and extract the information or attack other connected parties.
As a matter of discussion, it is not possible to eliminate all the vulnerabilities in the software when developing it. But by using different methods, many of the weaknesses can be resolved, and the possible chances of getting attacked can be minimalized. Consistently performing validation on the input and updating the software is one of the significant steps that can be used to avoid unwanted attacks.
Conclusion
Dealing with these security challenges can be hard and it can take down your business if you try to handle it without the proper knowledge. Many organizations provide consultancy that can help to fix the IoT security challenges regarding IoT and provide a secure IoT back to your business. 3STechLabsis one of those organizations that have professionals who can reduce IoT security challenges in your business and help it grow better. Get in touch with 3STechLabs today for a better IoT future.