The Internet of Things and Surprising Consequences
LA IT support providers are increasingly called upon to provide tech support solutions for businesses which incorporate IoT (Internet of Things). IoT tech is positively ubiquitous today. It can be found in hair brushes, refrigerators, egg holders, thermostats, phones, televisions, computers, tablets, LED lighting arrays, garage door openers, cars, construction signs— the list goes on!
Naturally, with such a ubiquity of entry points, IoT represents a windfall for many who are in cybercrime. Certainly, security is possible, but unless you work with the right MSP or have an internal department which has as its core prerogative profitable technology security development, you’re likely to have vulnerabilities about which you are unaware.
The following are four areas of vulnerability often overlooked by both businesses and individuals:
Pacemakers
Johnson and Johnson have insulin pumps that can be hacked. Talk about a hostage situation! If you’ve got a CEO with a pacemaker and some underhanded blackhat hacker decides to steal from your business, all they’ve got to do is stop his heart for a split-second, contact him, then tell the man to send a certain sum to a certain account, or he’ll be allowed to expire. IoT devices which affect the personal health of individuals must be taken into account with any corporate security plan. Perhaps, just keep those individuals from having access to financial data.
Tricky Teddies
Many toys these days come IoT-enabled and very few people see them as a security threat. CloudPets was hacked in this way. If it’s “bring your daughter to work” day, you may need to institute a “no toys” policy for security.
Hotel Rooms That Reject Guests
In Austria, one hotel incidentally locked guests out of rooms through a hacking issue wherein all card-readers were made to accept no keycards. LA IT support providers can help you safeguard keycard access systems so that they won’t be hacked.
Killer Car Washes
A car wash can be made to attack those inside it. The method is through IoT connectivity which provides an access route to the systems controlling the wash itself. You’ve got to secure such systems against being over-ridden.
LA IT support providers like Advanced Networks can help you determine where vulnerabilities may or may not lie as pertains to your business and its contemporary IoT solutions. Contact us to see what can be done to protect your digital assets, ensure the safety of your clientele, and reduce the likelihood that you’ll be hijacked.
