What Are the Privacy Risks Involved in IoT Company Integration?

The use of IoT integration in buildings and homes has been on the rise because IoT provides a lot of benefits to both residents and builders. However, it also has its own risks that need to be considered. One such risk is the security of data IoT devices collect. These safety concerns can't be ignored. As more and more devices are connected to the internet, the risk of data breaches and cyber-attacks increases exponentially.

One major challenge with IoT security is privacy. The technology we increasingly rely on gathers information about the user and these details can be used for various purposes. For example, data collected from a smartwatch can be used to assess a person's health. While that information can be sent to healthcare providers to help medical professionals optimize their patients' care, it can also fall into the wrong hands. Unauthorized access can result in hackers discovering personal identification information such as social security or credit card numbers.

Consider the smart devices employees use. These are all connected to their office networks, and this shared access could also lead a determined cybercriminal to find information that could help them reach their nefarious goals.

What's the solution?

The problem is that there's no one solution to this issue. Some companies have tried to address this problem by using a 'privacy by design' approach. This means that they implement security and privacy features right from the start of their product development process. Encryption on IoT networks would help protect these devices from hackers because it makes it difficult for criminals to access data.

It's important to understand that IoT devices are usually connected to a network and they use a protocol called TCP/IP for communication. This protocol doesn't encrypt the data being sent over the network, which means that hackers can easily intercept and read them. Until encryption becomes standard for all smart devices, the first step is to ensure that the devices that do connect to networks follow high-security internet protocols. It's not enough just to encrypt devices with a password or PIN code: We also need to put firewalls in place that will prevent hackers from breaching security systems and manipulating them remotely.

The future will bring new challenges to companies and opportunities to innovate. To stay ahead, businesses and organizations of all sizes need to invest in IoT security and ensure that they're never caught off guard by a cyber attack.

Perle is proud to partner with IoT device manufacturers by offering serial to ethernet solutions. For more information, reach out for a conversation with a team member today!