Oops —- We Designed Technology to be Unpatchable

 

IoT or Internet of Things devices are becoming more and more popular.  It seems that all types of items we never considered to require connectivity are now connected to the internet.  They are constantly passing information back and forth. However, one of the problems with these connected devices is security.  Most IoT devices were designed with a specific functionality or convenience in mind and but often security and upgrades were not part of the consideration when getting it to the consumer market.   How can these IoT devices be made more secure — by segmenting the network so that they can only access what they need and nothing else. If this is not done then there is a risk that these devices can be used as a platform attack your network to siphon data.  Additionally, most of these devices are massed produced with a focus on meeting a particular price point are not upgradable. If a cybercriminal finds a vulnerability – instead of being able to apply a patch you will have to throw out the device and replace it with another.