IoT Security for Businesses: Don't Let Your Smart Office Become a Hacker's Playground

If you're a business owner these days, chances are you've started implementing some Internet of Things (IoT) devices into your operations. From smart thermostats and lights to IP cameras and voice assistants, IoT gadgets promise convenience and efficiency. But if you don't take security seriously, your smart office could turn into a pretty glaring vulnerability that hackers won't hesitate to take advantage of.

And while the features and capabilities of these gadgets may be appealing, when you have confidential data at stake, cutting corners on IoT security is simply not an option. Perhaps setting the office up with a Nest Cam seems harmless enough by itself. But the moment you connect any IoT device to your company network, you automatically introduce new endpoint vulnerabilities that bad actors can potentially exploit to breach valuable systems and data.

Practice the Principle of Least Privilege

The principle of least privilege simply means that each device should only have access to the information and resources required for it to function. As such, don't let your IoT devices interact with the entirety of your network assets right off the bat. Segment your network so internet-connected devices stay separated from your most sensitive systems. And implement access controls so IoT integration touches the bare minimum.

To break this down further, start by taking a risk analysis inventory of every connected device in your environment. Document exactly what data or services each needs to operate smoothly for employees. Perhaps the smart coffee maker only requires access to the internet to allow remote brew scheduling. Meanwhile, surveillance cameras need to interface with security systems to relay video footage. Make a note of these functional requirements for everything IoT across your organization.

Then work with your IT team to architect network segmentation that silos off an IoT zone completely separate from systems housing confidential information like customer data servers or financial databases. This should be a key component of your cybersecurity strategy. From there, set up granular permissions and whitelist only the communication pathways essential for proper functioning based on the inventory. Anything unnecessary for core tasks stays locked down and inaccessible.

Change Default Credentials

When you take a new IoT device out of the box, odds are high that it has default administrative credentials already set—and well-known to the cybercrime community. Attackers have lists of common default logins, so changing these before anything else should be cybersecurity strategy 101. 

Document all the default credentials that come preset with each device so your IT administrators can get them switched over immediately to strong, randomized passwords. Generate these tough-to-crack passwords with a password manager tool rather than trying the "set and forget" approach with Post-It notes that get lost or use weak standards across all equipment.

Additionally, requires multi-factor authentication wherever possible across IoT administration interfaces for added account protection. This way, simply capturing a password through phishing or a brute force attack won't be enough for a criminal to achieve full compromise. They'll need that secondary login factor, too, which is much harder to obtain.

Enlist a Next-Gen Antivirus Solution

While traditional antivirus software focuses on spotting familiar malware strains on desktops and servers, IoT environments demand a new type of advanced endpoint protection. Modern solutions use AI and machine learning risk analysis to identify never-before-seen attack patterns and exotic threats targeting connected devices.

Plus, next-gen protection goes beyond simple detection to actively neutralize attacks across your entire connected infrastructure before damage occurs. So, your nifty office IoT deployments have their own personal bodyguard against malware and exploits.

The thing is, traditional AV tools rely heavily on malware blacklists and pattern matching against known malicious files as they enter the corporate perimeter. However, IoT, by its very nature of constant connectivity and transmission of sensor data, makes pattern matching far less effective in practice. The lines blur quickly between "good" and "bad" traffic.

So modern endpoint security platforms flip the script completely with artificial intelligence under the hood. Instead of just scanning for virus signatures already categorized in the lab, next-gen tools watch device activity for anomalies and indicators of attack unseen before. Machine learning algorithms establish a baseline for normal behavior across users, data flows, times of day, location patterns, and more. When something deviates from the norm, IT gets alerted ASAP, even if the threat evades conventional databases.

Monitor Network Traffic for Weirdness

Situational awareness is everything for IoT security. Effective monitoring tools alert IT staff immediately about suspicious anomalies so problems can get addressed promptly before turning into breaches. Unusual traffic spikes at odd hours, unexpected connection attempts, credential stuffing attacks—you want to know about red flags ASAP while there's still a chance for containment.

To set up reliable monitoring for the enterprise, start by deploying physical or virtual sensors at strategic points across your infrastructure. Place these sensors to maximize visibility—in front of critical servers, near key network checkpoints, close to external facing systems like VPN concentrators or internet gateways, etc.

The goal is gaining an expansive view of all user and device activity enterprise-wide. With enough viewpoints captured, advanced analytics can establish an intricate baseline for normal behavior at micro and macro levels. Guest WiFi typically hums busily during office hours then goes mostly silent nights and weekends, for example. Whereas warehouse operations show consistent heavy industrial equipment usage day or night. You get the idea.

From this position of understanding, monitoring tools shine at detecting even subtle deviations from anticipated patterns across users, data volumes, applications, and so on. Security teams configure alert rules to surface anomalies automatically for rapid response.

Final Word

Hopefully you're convinced by now that skimping on IoT security is flirting with unnecessary risk. But don't worry—with the right governance approach, your business can realize the benefits of IoT innovation without just handing the keys to hackers.

With some diligence upfront, that shiny new fleet of smart devices will usher in the operational efficiencies you hoped for—without the added risk of succumbing to an extensive data breach (or even simply making your business non-compliant). So do it right from the start, and your office will run safely and smoothly with a lot less stress (or emergency incident response bills).