Introduction
It is hard to disagree that the rapid and efficient development of technologies provides individuals and businesses with a vast number of new opportunities. Unfortunately, persons with harmful and unethical intentions also receive additional options and ways to steal or damage data, access secured networks, or perform other internet crimes. When a new trend or system gains popularity, more cyberattacks are expected to be attempted. The purpose of this research is to investigate the biggest cybersecurity threat facing companies over the next several years, attacks on the Internet of Things (IoT) systems and devices.
Discussion
Most organizations prefer to be modern and immediately adopt new technological advancements and options. However, corresponding security measures are not always considered, and the same is expected to happen with many businesses working with the IoT over the following several years. According to Marr (2022), “the more devices we connect together and network, the more potential doors and windows exist that attackers can use to get in and access our data” (para. 3). In 2023, 43 billion devices connected to the internet of things are predicted, and this number will be growing further, with many of these devices being used by major corporations (Marr, 2022).
The severity and significance of the identified threat cannot be overestimated. Being a huge network of interconnected devices, the IoT will contain a firm’s and its workers’ personal data, secret information, all operations and sales statistics, passwords, and other valuable data (Security Scorecard, 2021). Thus, if criminals get access to this system, the company will face extremely negative and harmful consequences, hoping they will not concern its clients, vendors, and partners (and they will).
Another aspect proving the scope of this threat in the upcoming years is the reduced possibility for organizations to avoid the implementation of the IoT. As indicated by Kulkarni (2021), the COVID-19 pandemic and the age of automation have made numerous minor and major businesses transform the way they work, adopting digitalization. Therefore, in 2023 and further, more firms will rush to adopt the IoT, fail to consider the best security measures and become the victims of skilled cybercriminals (Kulkarni, 2021). As a consequence, it is of vital importance to spread awareness of IoT safety tools and guidelines.
Overall, there are several ways for companies to reduce the identified threat. First of all, all employees who somehow use the Internet of Things devices and have access to the corporate IoT network are to be trained to utilize it correctly (Grammatikis et al., 2019). Unrequired functionality or devices should be disconnected, and workers who leave the firm should also immediately lose access to the network (Kulkarni, 2021). There should be regular changes of passwords and assessments of security (Grammatikis et al., 2019). Finally, all firmware, software, and devices have to be updated and verified by professionals.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that it is indeed likely that IoT attacks will become the most concerning and common cybersecurity threat over the following years. Since more and more companies are making the Internet of Things an integral part of their operations and communications, criminals will be tempted to take advantage of this tendency. Consequently, issues that may arise are insecure data transfer and storage, compromised information and networks, and other unpleasant or costly problems. Every business should take specific steps when implementing the IoT to avoid cyberattacks: train employees, follow safety measures, and trust professionals.
References
Grammatikis, P. I. R., Sarigiannidis, P. G., & Moscholios, I. D. (2019). Securing the Internet of Things: Challenges, threats and solutions. Internet of Things, 5, 41-70.
Kulkarni, S. (2021). How to secure IoT devices and protect them from cyber attacks. TechTarget. Web.
Marr, B. (2022). The top five cybersecurity trends in 2023. Forbes. Web.
Security Scorecard. (2021). 7 internet of things threats and risks to be aware of. Web.