As adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) ramps up, the cybersecurity threat landscape changes from PCs, tablets, and conventional networks to all sorts of connected devices, including large, durable goods (think airplanes, automobiles, and construction equipment). IIoT connects major equipment such as aircraft, automobiles, and critical pieces of national infrastructure, including turbines used in power generation and transformers and switches in our electricity grid.
Cisco estimates that the number of devices connected to IP networks will be more than three times the global population by 2022, in the range of 30 billion to 50 billion, with a projected annual economic impact of $3.9 trillion to $11.1 trillion worldwide by 2025. Even if growth projections are overly optimistic, cybersecurity must assume a much more critical role. If a piece of durable machinery becomes infected, the consequences pose a serious threat to business performance and production, as well as overall safety — and could even have national security implications. As older, unconnected equipment is replaced with new, connected machinery, fears are beginning to rise about how secure this new equipment is and what can be done to make it more impregnable from cyberattacks.
Here are three things that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) should focus on to enhance data security, while also fully realizing the promised economic benefits of IoT and IIoT.
1. Adopt Industrywide StandardsIn the software world, we design with security in mind and adhere to a se ..
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