WASHINGTON – As the “Internet of Things” becomes a staple of the conversation across all aspects of the economy, there’s a growing concern around how to secure all these new connections.
At the recent Federal Building Council event, many participants analogized that creating an IoT network is like building a house with a million doors and windows, and all a criminal needs to do is find one door or window someone left open.
This is concerning for consumers who have a home automation IoT system. For organizations like the Department of Defense, which has 2.2 billion IoT-enabled systems in the Pentagon, it can be extremely troublesome.
IoT systems are complex and increasingly vital in things that are classified as critical infrastructure, like nuclear power plants. General Electric, for example, now requires access to the IoT sensors on every turbine and generator it sells in order to monitor efficiency and keep the warranty current.