FEATURE : IOT
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The Internet of Things ( IoT ) is something companies must adopt in order to achieve business continuity and success . However , the manifestation of IoT within a company ’ s network can present potential security risks . Intelligent CIO Europe hears from Ofer Maor , Director of Solutions Management at Synopsys , and Uri Sarid , CTO at MuleSoft , who let us know the precautions to take when it comes to the adoption of IoT .
Failing to adopt these modern technologies and capabilities will leave your business behind and offer your competitors an advantage in the market . Nonetheless , adoption of these technologies exposes your organisation to a new set of security threats .
As we have previously seen with emerging technology , there are several repeating dynamics which influence security , such as rapid innovation , lots of new players in the market and lack of awareness . The first two drive vendors in this space to value speed to market over many other priorities , including security , as they are facing fierce competition . Whereas the third one makes it even more likely for them to insufficiently invest in security as they are writing their code or integrating third party open source into their product . This results in a higher number of vulnerabilities and risks introduced by these new products and devices , which of course pose threat to your business .
Luckily , businesses and especially larger ones , are in far better position to deal with it than the consumer market and it can help create the right programme for reducing these risks while still enjoying the benefit this new world offers .
IoT is contributing to transformation by offering a wide range of smart devices that can improve performance efficiency . In our personal lives , this manifests itself through personal assistants such as Alexa or Google Home , smart kitchen appliances and smart lighting , all of which are already gaining tremendous popularity . But IoT is an even bigger game changer with businesses small and large , from barcode scanners to location trackers , to Internet-enabled devices , connected manufacturing machines and power stations .
The first thing to pay attention to is who you buy from . Some vendors have more consideration to security than others . Try to buy from respectable vendors with a proven track record in the market . Don ’ t be afraid to ask them about their security programme . Better vendors will be glad to share summaries of their software security programmes , showing that they regularly test their code for security vulnerabilities and fix them when found .
It is also recommended to perform your own testing . As you consider procuring a new
How organisations can balance the benefits of IoT with its potential cybersecurity risks
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