It is of no surprise that more and more people are talking about the Internet of Things, as this is something that has received a lot more attention over the past couple of years. And, as time goes on, it’s likely that IoT devices are only going to dominate more newspaper and blog columns. One issue that does need to be discussed in relation to the IoT of things is security. You don’t need us to tell you that cybersecurity is a huge issue in the current day and age, with an increasing number of data breaches occurring every month. With that being said, continue reading for some tips on online protection re the IoT…
Add on layers of security
First and foremost, it is wise to add on extra layers of security. It is becoming easier for malicious cyber criminals to access verified data because of the rise of the IoT. One way to combat this is to use a Virtual Private Network, VPN, as this will ensure that traffic from verified devices is only allowed on your business network.
Keep firmware up to date on all IoT devices
It is so important to make sure that all of your devices are up to date. A lot of us have a tendency to let this slide. We don’t want to take the time to sit through updates nor can we be bothered to check if any updates are available, but it is vital that you do.
Enforce a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy
You would be surprised by how many data breaches occur because of employee error. It is not uncommon for data to be stolen because an employee has lost track of devices that are owned by the company, such as tablets, laptops, and other storage devices that have sensitive data on them. One way to deal with this problem is to get employees to bring their own devices to work instead. Nevertheless, you should not stop here. You ought to encrypt all devices owned by the company using an encryption methodology that is certified for extra protection. This will ensure that all confidential data is unreadable.
Educate your employees
As touched upon in the previous paragraph, one of the main reasons for data breaches is because of employee misuse. Therefore, to combat negligence you need to make sure that your employees are educated on how to protect data. You should teach them how to develop strong passwords and what negligent behavior they need to avoid. You should also put an effective security policy in place.
Have a different password for every device
Last but not least, the final thing you need to do is make sure you have a different password for every device. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make. If you use the same password for every device, once someone hacks into one account they will have access to all of your other devices.
So there you have it; the five security tips you need to get started when it comes to online protection and the Internet of Things.
