Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to breach corporate networks and steal data, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices present them with a vast array of opportunities to do so. That’s because many IoT devices can be easily compromised. When these devices are connected to corporate networks they offer a potential way in.
As a chilling example, in 2017 hackers were able to access a casino’s database of its biggest spending customers after gaining access to its computer network through a vulnerability in a thermostat attached to a fish tank.
Even when hackers can’t jump straight from IoT devices to other corporate assets, IoT devices can be a huge cybersecurity threat. Many IoT devices collect and forward large amounts of data, and by intercepting this data cybercriminals may be able to garner information that they can exploit to successfully breach the network.
One reason that IoT devices are such tempting targets is that, quite simply, there are so many of them. Today there are an estimated 14 billion such devices, according to Statistica, and this is projected to explode to about 31 billion in the next four years. Some of these devices will have been secured appropriately, but many will not. And, thanks to the rapidly increasing numbers, many organizations will struggle to manage them all securely.