FEATURE
Corporate deployments of Internet of Things ( IoT ) devices are growing briskly as more and more connected devices are deployed by businesses worldwide both big and small . From smart refrigerators in breakrooms , to copiers that order their own toner , to sensors for the early identification of breakdowns in mission-critical equipment , IoT enables companies to monitor , automate , control and manage many aspects of their business operations .
However , these devices and their network connections represent a potential increase in corporate attack surfaces and offer more weaknesses for attackers to exploit . A major reason for this is that these devices often have in-built weaknesses that are often overlooked , light , gasses and other factors , as well as complex devices including smart thermostats and even cars . The data collected by IoT devices can be used
IoT enables companies to monitor , automate , control and manage many aspects of their business operations .
to monitor and control the devices , as well as to track and manage the data collected by the devices .
Turning our focus to the industrial uses of IoT ; we enter a category of these devices called Operational Technology ( OT ). This more business-focused category of IoT , refers to the hardware and software used to identify , monitor and control physical devices , processes and events in an organisation .
Paul Keely , Chief Cloud Officer at Open Systems
or even unknown to IT staff , as smart devices are seldom managed as carefully as their traditional IT counterparts .
IoT explained
Simply put , the IoT is a system in which devices and sensors are interconnected for the collection and exchanging of important data . IoT devices connect to the Internet through a variety of networks , such as Wi-Fi , cellular , Bluetooth and Zigbee . Additionally , these devices can also use Google Home , Amazon Echo and other such gateways for Internet connectivity .
The wide variety of IoT devices includes simple sensors for detecting and monitoring temperature , motion , sound ,
An early adopter of OT is the agricultural industry , which has enthusiastically embraced it . Connected devices are widely used for the real-time monitoring of sunlight levels , soil moisture , humidity , temperature and other factors affecting crop health . This data is then used to automate irrigation along with other farming operations . Similarly , both local and national governments employ a wide variety of smart devices in monitoring energy usage and water and air quality .
What are the security issues for IoT and OT ?
One of the main issues with IoT devices is the lack of awareness that IT organisations have over their estate – this primarily applies to IoT and not so much to OT devices . The reason for this is that OT devices usually cost a lot of money and actually control the business functions that a company uses to do www . intelligentciso . com
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