I’m sure that if Blackberry had conducted this survey in the 90s—if they had asked people their level of trust in purchasing ‘smart’ cars, TVs, security cameras or drones—respondents would’ve taken one look at a VHS copy of The Terminator and given a flat nope.
Today, the reaction seems to be just that, if perhaps for more realistic and immediate reasons, often born of personal experience. In total, Blackberry’s survey revealed that 80% of consumer respondents don’t trust their Internet of Things (IoT) devices when it comes to keeping their data safe. And why would they? IoT remains a new frontier for many enterprises, and data security can be an afterthought more often than not. Many (58%) suggested they would even pay more (10-20% more) for a product if it ensured strong data protection. According to Blackberry’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Wilson, “This survey shows there is a real opportunity for companies to differentiate their products by providing a higher level of security and data privacy.” If you can demonstrate to your customer or user base that you take IoT security as seriously as you (hopefully) take cybersecurity in more traditional areas, they’re more likely to take you seriously.
Which is not to say that organizations have gotten those traditional areas all figured out, even in this new year. The reality for many today is that business operations require networks to be increasingly “porous” around the perimeter, as Simon Persin terms it at ComputerWeekly.com. This creates more potential access points for cyber criminals. Companies can and should leverage any number of preventative tools against these threats: network segmentation, controlled and restricted access, and of course encrypting the sensitive data.
And yet, another reality is that even with these strong and necessary measures in places, you still must act as if you will be breached at some point. The odds are good. I feel like we say this a lot here, but how one monitors their network for suspicious activity, and how they respond when the eventual breach hits, is just as crucial as anything prior.
More organizations seem to be gradually heeding the call. If you haven’t yet, whether or not you work with the IoT, why not join in soon?