ITProPortal – UK firms can’t tell if their IoT is secure

Research reports raises more questions about the overall security of IoT user data.

A new report is suggesting that the majority of UK organisations can’t tell if their Internet of Things (IoT) devices are secure.

itproportalThe report, based on a poll of 950 IT and business decision makers across the globe from digital security firm Gemalto, claims that almost half of organisations in the UK can’t detect a breach which is, after France, the second lowest in Europe. Some believe IoT security to be an ethical responsibility, while the majority feel regulations are of great importance.

“At times it feels organisations are trying to run before they can walk, implementing technology without really understanding what impact it could have on their security,” commented Jason Hart, CTO of Data Protection at Gemalto.

“With IoT devices continuing to immerse themselves deep within organisations’ networks, it’s frightening to see that so many UK businesses don’t know if and when these devices have been breached. Although the UK’s new Code of Practice is a great first step toward securing the IoT, it’s won’t truly be effective until these are made mandatory and all organisations are forced to adhere to them. Only once every device, new and old, is given these same standards will the UK see a decrease in successful attacks.”

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IT Pro Portal – The rise of ransomware and data breaches have revealed the poor state of businesses cybersecurity

itproportalWhat can businesses do to avoid becoming a hacker’s easy target, and how should they keep their data safe?

As WannaCry and Petya made clear, high profile ransomware attacks are on the rise. In fact, in 2015 there were roughly 1,000 attacks a day, but by 2016 the FBI reports that number skyrocketed to 4,000 a day.

As the data possessed by organisations becomes increasingly valuable, these attacks, alongside data breaches and theft, are only going to grow in frequency. Organisations depend on data to make critical business decisions and investments. It’s the modern day oil, and means hackers are constantly looking for ways to leverage this data for their own benefit. But what can businesses do to avoid becoming a hacker’s easy target, and how should they keep their data safe?

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IT Pro Portal – Consumers don’t trust the security of their IoT devices

itproportalThe vast majority of consumers say that they don’t trust the security protection within their IoT devices, new research has claimed.

A new report by Gemalto found that more than two thirds of consumers, as well as 80 per cent of organisations, would like to see the government getting involved in IoT security.

“It’s clear that both consumers and businesses have serious concerns around IoT security and little confidence that IoT service providers and device manufacturers will be able to protect IoT devices and more importantly the integrity of the data created, stored and transmitted by these devices,” said Jason Hart, CTO, data protection at Gemalto.

“With legislation like GDPR showing that governments are beginning to recognize the threats and long-lasting damage cyber-attacks can have on everyday lives, they now need to step up when it comes to IoT security. Until there is confidence in IoT amongst businesses and consumers, it won’t see mainstream adoption.”

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ITPro Portal – Perimeter security ineffective and a waste of money, research shows

itproportalGemalto says businesses are investing heavily in extra security solutions, but still feel they could be breached.

“It is clear that there is a divide between organisations’ perceptions of the effectiveness of perimeter security and the reality,” said Jason Hart, vice president and chief technology officer for data protection at Gemalto.

“By believing that their data is already secure, businesses are failing to prioritise the measures necessary to protect their data. Businesses need to be aware that hackers are after a company’s most valuable asset – data. It’s important to focus on protecting this resource, otherwise reality will inevitably bite those that fail to do so.”

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ITProPortal – A new era of hacking: 2017 will be the Year of the data integrity breach

itproportalData is the new oil, a crucially valuable resource which dictates everything from business operations to government policy.

2016 was certainly a notable year, with unexpected goings on in the cultural and political spheres. The same can be said of the security industry, which saw the largest data breach ever recorded being disclosed by Yahoo, and hacks conducted by 16 year olds, such as TalkTalk, making it apparent that age and experience are no longer barriers to hackers. In the first half of 2016, at least 550 million records were stolen, that we know of, almost 65 per cent higher than the same period in 2015. It may seem a surprising figure, given the advances the industry is making in developing data protection tools, but as technology advances, so too does the sophistication of hackers.

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ITProPortal – Perimeter security: Beyond the corporate boundary

itproportalPerimeter security incorporates an extensive set of systems – from firewalls, to content filtering and anomaly detection.

 

What does ‘perimeter’ mean these days? With mobile application access, remote working, employee use of cloud-based information sharing and other activities taking place beyond the corporate boundary, many organisations struggle to determine where this perimeter actually lies. As these use cases grow, securing perimeters is becoming an even bigger issue to contend with.

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