Consumers are unaware of security risks in IOT devises

Manama : Internet of things (IOT) devices will be one of the top cybersecurity risks in the coming years as manufacturers are releasing devices into the market without properly assessing its vulnerabilities, an expert said. Governments have a challenge ahead of them in regulating IoT devices and educating the public about its risks, said Ben Dowton, a Security Consultant.

 While the IoT market is growing rapidly with even water bottles and lightbulbs being turned into smart devices, it is also coming with its risks, he said. Hackers could hack into the internet network of a home or business and take control of the connected devices. 

Dowton told DT News that this could pose a threat to businesses as well as consumers. “It is very difficult for the general public. We are very reliant on manufactures and trusting the government. The challenge is that this relies on the government regulating what devices are being produced in the market as well as regulate devices that are produced elsewhere, which is a difficult thing to do. So it will be necessary to educate consumers so they understand the risks and the steps to be taken to protected,” he explained

He said that the threat is rapidly rising. “It’s affecting devices and we have seen a lot in the past few years or so. We are seeing more and more reports of compromise of these device because they are being pushed out to the market before security is considered.  So we are definitely seeing an increase. Last year we saw thousands of devices being compromised. We see devices being used as a way in to attack a company directly,” he said. 

“The technology here is different but the fundamental way in which we deal with this is not too different from what we have been doing already. So we can apply the same approach to a different kind of system. Businesses should already have the tools to deal with this. It’s just a change of mindet that  is  needed,” he  said

“Consumers might have the risk of someone accessing their network and personal data. Often, they are just a victim and they do not know that their device is being used in attacks. Possibly the worst case for a customer is the fact that their network could get blacklisted because of this. Things like personal data will always be at risk if someone can access the data. We have also seen some privacy concerns. It happened with laptops where the hackers could also for ransom by turning on the cameras of the device and sending the victims video feeds of themselves in compromising situations. The more connected devices we have the more risk there is,” he said.