Check your weak spots

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CYBER THREATS TO GATEWAY-BASED IOT?

First-generation IoT solutions typically rely on generic gateways as a node (i.e. the connection point among network devices to connect sensors, devices, equipment, and the cloud). They can also be used to translate protocols and exchange information. But they are notoriously vulnerable to attack, presenting single points of failure and inviting what are commonly known as ‘man-in-the-middle cyber attacks’ (MitM). This is where the intruder secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who believe they are engaged in private communication. This is essentially digital eavesdropping, and it provides the attacker with ample opportunity to intercept, capture, and manipulate sensitive information. System login details—providing unlimited system access which they can return to at any future point—or debit card numbers are examples, and they do this in real-time. Critically, this means that because the attackers are masquerading as authorised users, their system infiltration can often go undetected for long periods of time, allowing them to syphon data and wreak havoc within the system.

HOW SIMPLICITY COULD BE THE KEY TO SECURE IOT ADOPTION

Bolted-on solutions rarely work. While it can provide a degree of protection, security as an afterthought is rarely as effective as security that has been prioritised from the start and built into the IoT solution, something that has been intensely tested and proven to be secure. But even in that case, it’s a clear fact that the simpler the IoT architecture is, the smaller the risks become.

Take smart sensors, for example. There are multiple smart sensor designs. Some are integrated, some can be operated externally. Some are wired, others wireless. But when you make a smart sensor that can be used independently, free of legacy system integration, working on its own unique network, with no wires going in and nothing coming out, you significantly mitigate the risk of intrusion. The simpler the system, the fewer the entry points and areas of weakness.

HOW CAN CLOUD CONNECTORS ENSURE SECURITY IN IOT SYSTEMS?

There are two prongs of attack when approaching the security of IoT. The first is size. It is much harder to electrically attach to a tiny device, making it more difficult to break into. This will reduce the probability that someone makes the required effort, although it would not stop a serious attacker.

The second is to develop the security system together with the sensors from the start. The protocol, SDS, uses end-to-end encryption where the data is encrypted inside the sensor and kept encrypted all the way until it is safely received in the cloud. The sensor messages are only relayed by the Cloud Connectors and are never decrypted by other devices before they end up in the cloud. The encrypted communication link between the sensor and the cloud is designed to avoid MitM attacks. This architecture significantly reduces the number of attack vectors, making the Disruptive Technologies sensors among the most secure in the market.

IoT-based technology is widely acknowledged as the future of facilities management. It has the potential to create significant efficiencies in every building. However, until the issue of security is addressed, there is a barrier to making systemic changes that could transform the way buildings are managed.