Tips for Running your business with IoT in 2019

by Megan sashyl Blogger & Content Writer

The internet of things (IoT) has drastically changed the way we do things. This change cuts across virtually every aspect of our lives including the corporate and business world. Everything from everyday appliances, security systems, virtual assistants and more all interact with one another, streamlining business processes and making time-consuming activities easy.

Despite these great benefits, it is no secret that IoT also poses security concerns to users. Anything connected to the internet has the potential to be hacked. This is particularly unsettling to people who do business mainly on the internet, as all their personal and business information is potentially at risk.

According to a recent survey by Ponemon Institute, about 21% of companies were victims of cyber attacks and data breaches caused by insecure IoT devices. This is a 5% increase from 2017 which saw 16% of companies making the same report.

As IoT has grown to become an integral part of our everyday lives, we are faced with the responsibility of making sure that we are safe from these attacks.

So, what can you do to survive and run your business successfully in a world of interconnected devices and applications? These essential IoT security tips will come in handy.

Regular updates

Without regular updates from secure sources, IoT devices stand the risk of being compromised. Thankfully, virtually every device and application gets regular updates.

Data storage compliance

A huge amount of data is generated every day and must be processed and stored in the right way. If compromised, it can put the business and a lot of people in a bad situation. As a business, make sure that data generated, particularly via IoT is stored securely and in accordance with the current international safety and privacy standards. In Europe, Canada and the US, there are regulations that guide how personal data should be handled and when these guidelines are not met, the penalties can be serious. Whether you have an on-site server or buy server resources, data storage should comply with the GDPR and other data storage compliance bodies.

Create a fall back plan

IoT devices are interconnected. If a hacker can gain access to just one insecure device in the lot, it is only a matter of time before a large number of operations are compromised. One of the ways this can happen is by making relentless demand on the resources of thousands of connected devices known as a distributed denial of service or DDoS. Even if by chance, you are not on the IoT, chances are you rely on the services of a company that could be a target, such as your web hosting provider or data storage provider. These could be providers that provide the infrastructure that is critical to your business. For this reason, it is vital that you design a fall back plan that you can refer to when the need arises.

Separate web hosting from email

Over the years, we have equalled web hosting to unlimited branded email accounts. While there is nothing wrong with this, it may not be a very good idea. Your hosting company may suffer a DDoS attack, and you may lose your website, important files, or emails. For safety reasons, do not run business email accounts on your web hosting account. It is far better to set up dedicated email accounts for your business with an email hosting provider. Even from their URL you can easily tell what they offer, like www.freeparking.co.nz/web-security/sitelock/ for instance.

Have a rule book

One of the easiest ways computer devices get compromised is when employees make the honest mistake of opening strange files and attachments received via email. This action can lead to hacking. To avoid this, have a rule book that describes how employees should handle correspondence on the internet particularly from unknown sources. Of course, not everyone will understand and appreciate some of your security measures and may think you paranoid, but it is better to be safe than sorry and it wouldn’t hurt to transfer a bit of this paranoia to the people who work with you.

Wrapping up

Attacks on the internet are no longer a new thing. While it is almost impossible to prevent all these attacks, taking measures to minimise your loss is a good business practice that should not be taken for granted.