Why the Network Is Central to IoT Security

In a large school district, there was a digital sign for a snack area that no one had thought about for months. Eventually, the snack area was removed, yet the sign was still plugged into the district's network. For months, it turns out, the sign had been compromised by attackers and was communicating with 100 different countries.   

The case highlights the problematic nature of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the ingenious ways bad actors are taking advantage of the fast-growing attack surface created by IoT. It also shows that security must adapt to this new reality if enterprise networks and sensitive data are to remain protected.

The challenge around IoT security will only grow. Worldwide spending on IoT is expected to hit $745 billion this year and blow past $1 trillion in 2022. For enterprises deploying IoT devices, security remains the top technical issue as those looking to compromise the devices are often sophisticated nation-states or organized crime organizations.

The myriad IoT devices come with an almost equal number of challenges.

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