IT leaders and cybersecurity professionals need to understand the unique challenges IoT devices present, why a Zero Trust approach is so important, and how the right network hardware can help secure IoT environments. Yes, says Dee Dee Pare of Cradlepoint.
The temptation to scale new technology at scale often overwhelms the responsibility to ensure the technology is secure. The world of the Internet of Things (IoT) is a prime example. IoT is growing rapidly and positively impacting industries such as healthcare, office buildings, manufacturing, and retail. However, IT administrators and cybersecurity are often faced with the question of how to scale their IoT environments and how secure they can be. Fortunately, IoT security seems to be starting to get the attention it deserves.
In July, the Federal Communications Commission was suggested A new IoT security initiative called Cyber Trustmark. Despite the sci-fi-sounding name, this proposal shows how seriously the US government is taking its IoT security. If this concept becomes a reality, certain IoT devices such as smart home devices and security cameras will receive the CyberTrust Mark, which indicates that the device meets government standards for IoT security.
Even though IoT security has received federal attention, it remains important for businesses to do everything they can to secure their IoT devices and protect their networks.
IoT-specific security challenges
There are several factors that make connecting to IoT devices and infrastructure challenging for companies that want to secure their IoT environments. First, the amount of IoT devices in circulation is rapidly increasing. the current, Estimated 41.76 billion IoT devices will exist all over the world in 2023. Additionally, IoT device shipments are expected to grow by at least 18% annually. This will contribute, and frankly is already contributing, to the proliferation of IoT devices for many companies. As many IT leaders and cybersecurity professionals have recognized, the growth of IoT corresponds to an expanded potential attack surface. Additionally, some IT and business leaders are concerned about the cost, challenges, and scale of securing IoT environments. As a result, they are under-investing in the technology needed to protect their IT architecture.
In addition to the cost and sprawl issues associated with IoT devices, many current security methods do not provide a way for IoT devices to communicate with each other or for malicious actors to compromise them. First, most security techniques are designed with the agent or end user in mind. This includes passwords and his use of two-factor authentication. However, IoT devices cannot respond like end users. Additionally, IoT devices have limited processing power, making it more difficult to do so effectively if you need to house large-scale security software.
Many companies recognize the need to secure their IoT environments, but the methods commonly used today do not allow them to do so. One common option is to use a virtual private network or VPN. However, establishing a large-scale VPN is complex to set up and maintain. VPNs have another fatal flaw. Once a malicious party is inside your network, they may gain unrestricted access. Some networks use private access point nodes (APNs) provided by your mobile phone provider. However, private APNs do not give businesses complete control over their networks or how they secure their IoT deployments.
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What is the best way to secure your IoT architecture?
The answer lies in an efficient Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) approach. Zero Trust is the only way a company can make it easy for his IT team to establish completely secure network connections. It also eliminates the possibility of dangerous lateral traffic between IoT devices and other critical databases and assets.
The problem for many companies is that Zero Trust may be the latest security buzzword rather than an established concept with a clear path to implementation. Another possible scenario is that your IT department lacks the human resources or expertise to set up a network with comprehensive and efficient security measures. Therefore, it is important for IT leaders to select a network solution for IoT security that is efficient, easy to configure and manage, and has the right hardware to complete a comprehensive security approach.
Through proper research, IT leaders will learn that there are routers built specifically for IoT connectivity that allow businesses to take advantage of the benefits of IoT environments, while putting processing power and security needs first. For example, Cradlepoint’s S700 router can offload security processes to a service gateway, allowing IoT devices to follow Zero Trust security policies without burdening the router’s performance.
IT leaders will also find that the right router is versatile. IoT environments connect different parts of businesses and organizations. Therefore, a suitable router is required to power that connection. Businesses also need to find routers that can efficiently connect different types of transport, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and wired. This helps promote network resiliency.
With the right network solution, enterprises can easily implement zero trust network policies that make IoT environments inherently secure. For example, with Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Exchange solution, IT leaders can easily configure their wide area network (WAN) to automatically implement Zero Trust principles and extend this protection to their connected IoT devices. Masu. IoT devices then follow zero-trust policies, such as being dark for public scanning and only accessible through proper authentication. The latter is especially important for enterprises because many WANs are connected to third parties and proper third-party access is essential for business.
A new approach to IoT and security
Gone are the days when the security of IoT environments could keep up with the proliferation of IoT environments. With enterprises’ increased reliance on IoT devices, the expansion of connectivity technologies such as 5G, and the anticipated significant growth of the IoT market, cybersecurity professionals are at risk of constantly keeping up with how far their IoT architectures will grow. Exposed. For this reason, it is important for businesses to invest in the latest IoT connectivity hardware and zero trust technologies, rather than relying on traditional security measures such as VPNs and private APNs.
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