Over the past few years, governments around the world have begun to crack down on a weak point in global security. While the majority of the focus of the cybersecurity industry has gone to networks, servers, and software, another category is becoming increasingly vital in a comprehensive cybersecurity defense.
Since early 2020, the USA and other international regulatory bodies have signed into law a range of IoT cybersecurity compliance standards that businesses must follow. For example, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the States laid out that any government agency must increase baseline standards of IoT security to combat rising cybercrime directed on this area of the global attack surface.
Some of the existing IoT regulatory standards include:
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing
- Cybersecurity requirements for radio equipment
- Existing consumer and industrial product standards
- Industry-specific regulations
- IoT security guidelines
- Data privacy compliance directives like GDPR and CCPA
Depending on the geographical territory that a producer works from, there could be several additional local technical compliance initiatives to follow. Businesses must first strive to identify these requirements before exhaustively assuring that every point of compliance has been met by their company.
What Are The Leading IoT Compliance Vulnerabilities?
Depending on your specific industry and product offering, there will be a range of different compliance systems that businesses should adhere to.
For all Wi-Fi-enabled devices, there are various regulations that must be followed. As these are more vulnerable than other devices, consumers and manufacturers must pay close attention to security requirements.
Here are some common IoT device vulnerabilities to be aware of:
- Weak passwords – Change default passwords of IoT devices as soon as possible.
- Unpatched software – Remember to regularly update software to ensure you are up-to-date with any security patches.
- Insecure networks – Hackers can gain access to devices via unsecured networks.
By focusing on remedying these three areas, businesses will be able to overcome the majority of compliance initiatives, helping to start them on the right track to meet all IoT compliance regulations.
Why Is Achieving IoT Security Compliance Challenging?
Consumers typically misidentify IoT devices as free from the possibility of cyberattacks. Devices like smartwatches, webcams, mobile cameras, and audio-visual devices are regularly targeted by hackers. One of the leading reasons that hackers can so easily access these devices is that consumers rarely put passwords on them.
For personal belongings like laptops and computers, the average consumer knows that they should put in a secure password to prevent unauthorized access. However, the same is not true for IoT devices, which are commonly deployed either without a password or with a default password string.
When a hacker identifies these devices in a business network or connected to a person of interest, they can take advantage of this weaker security. Hackers will then:
- Steal personal data from the devices.
- Delete, manipulate, or modify files stored on the device.
- Disable the product completely.
- Use the device as an entry point into the larger connected network.
Businesses should take special care, especially regarding the last of these four potential situations. As companies across the globe continue to deploy more devices and expand their attack surfaces, IoT devices are becoming a primary target of malicious actors.
Another core reason that it is difficult to monitor security compliance within IoT devices is that they have reduced visibility compared to other devices. If a security expert doesn’t have complete visibility into a device – whether it is simply unavailable or disconnected – they are unable to ensure compliance is being followed.
What Happens If I Don’t Follow IoT Compliance Regulations?
As a growing target of cyber attacks, businesses must ensure they follow IoT compliance regulations wherever possible, taking additional care to check devices that may not be completely visible on initial scans.
Companies that do not follow IoT device compliance regulations may experience:
- Legal Penalties – Geographical regions like the UK and the USA offer security laws and compliance initiatives that businesses have to follow when using IoT devices. If a business fails to comply, they may face heavy fines.
- Data Breaches – Businesses that do not take the appropriate steps to secure their IoT devices may experience data breaches due to these weak points in their security network.
- Damage to Reputation – Around 46% of businesses that experience a data breach also report a major impact on their reputation. Carelessness when it comes to IoT devices can lead to customer churn, a loss of customer loyalty, and damage to customer faith in your business.
Following IoT compliance initiatives protects your business from fines, keeps your business and client data safe, and reduces the likelihood of a data breach from occurring. Just because IoT devices don’t seem as developed as other areas of your network does not mean you should overlook this critical part of security architecture.
Final Thoughts
IoT device security is increasingly becoming a talking point in major cybersecurity circles. In parallel with the rising threat, compliance-makers are continuing to increase their regulatory demands for manufacturers and businesses alike. By carefully combing through the expected standards that your business must abide by, you’ll be able to secure your IoT devices and prevent hackers from using them for nefarious ends.
Although IoT compliance is a newer field for many security experts, it is by no means less important. Especially against the rising cyber threat, which often uses IoT devices as entry points for more serious breaches, defending every part of your attack surface is more vital than ever before.
While IoT device regulation is still an evolving field, it’s one that security experts are increasingly having to adhere to, learn about, and incorporate into their comprehensive cybersecurity plans.
