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\u201cWhile the security of IT hardware and software has strengthened in recent years, the security of Internet of Things (IoT) \u2026 has not kept pace,\u201d<\/em> Microsoft\u2019s Digital Defense Report 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n The Internet of Things (IoT) promises a flood of amazing new products, including autonomous cars, networked medical devices, home automation, and new devices in industrial applications. But data breaches affect millions annually, and there is real fear that hacked devices could be used for surveillance, fraud or even weaponization. With 17 billion IoT devices in the world the surface area for attack dwarfs that of traditional computer malware.<\/p>\n Too often with IoT devices, security is an afterthought; sometimes it even gets scrapped due to time and resource constraints. But organizations cannot provide reliable security after the fact. Security must be addressed from day one, by both product development and leadership.<\/p>\n Consider architecture: There are many chipsets available that provide a security architecture for embedded devices, but less than 4% of new devices in 2018 include embedded security. The explanation for this oversight is obvious: Development begins without security in mind, leading to an architecture that omits it. And it\u2019s not feasible to change the underlying architecture of a product after release to account for security.<\/p>\n Many devices that are shipped to consumers have little to no update mechanism, or their update mechanism requires the customer to be aware of an update and go through a cumbersome process. This inevitably leads to out-of-date software that is an easy exploit for hackers.<\/p>\n Just like the PC industry, IoT developers must embrace secure, OTA updates to keep their customers safe. It is not enough just to offer updates; developers should push security updates to devices that are connected to their services. This is not just good business practice; it protects the service provider\u2019s critical SaaS infrastructure as well.<\/p>\n Security is often seen as a cost, but if you understand it correctly, you can turn it into a value proposition or a competitive advantage that customers are willing to pay a premium for. For instance:<\/p>\n Once you recognize the importance of security, it\u2019s logical to make it an integral part of your product development process. This means, amongst other things:<\/p>\n Embracing security today provides more than just a competitive advantage \u2013 it may be crucial for survival. While a product development platform alone is not enough to address security, it is an integral component for implementing security policies and frameworks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nMake Security a First-Class Citizen During Development<\/h3>\n
\nRELATED: <\/strong>Four Key Considerations When Choosing a Cloud-Based Engineering Tool Provider<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n
\nOtA Updates Should Be a Requirement<\/h3>\n
The Argument for Security in IoT Devices<\/h3>\n
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\nRELATED: <\/strong>What is DevSecOps? A Guide to Building Secure Software
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\nSecurity as an Integral Part of Product Development<\/h3>\n
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