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Fish in an aquarium can teach us a lot about the importance of data security. That’s it. Just pay attention to this fact occurred in the United States and even reported by the Washington Post, a casino was invaded by crackers who gained access to the network by exploiting an existing vulnerability in an aquarium.
The aquarium used one of the principles of the devices of this era of the internet of things, connectivity. It was connected by wifi to a computer that regulated through a software the temperature of the water. Crackers managed to exploit a security flaw in the regulator device and through it accessed the internal network of the casino. According to CyberSecurity company Darktrace, in the action more than 10 GB of information was stolen, which went into a device somewhere in Finland.
This is just one example, to illustrate a problem with much larger proportions, associated with the industry age 4.0 where virtually the whole manufacturing structure is somehow connected to the internet. In this blog post, we will bring some data about IoT and its insertion in industry 4.0, as well as challenges associated with maintaining security in increasingly connected environments. Keep reading!
A truly connected world
When we talk on the internet of things, many people think of smart cars, homes that turn on lights and open doors automatically or refrigerators that shop food. All this already exists and is increasingly present, but it is only the tip of the Iceberg.
According to a Gartner report, the forecast is that by 2020 there will be more than 20 billion connected devices. Cars, refrigerators, aquariums, but mainly machines present in the industry. Today, for example, we already have more machines than connected phones. They are more than 8.4 billion!
The internet of things in the industry allows companies to make fast, assertive decisions through intelligent machines, using systems that can monitor, collect, change, analyze, and deliver essential and strategic data and information for the development of any business.
What can already be done in Industry 4.0?
According to a Bsquare report, 86% of the industries are already deploying some kind of devices, systems and other IoT solutions. Currently, the main applications are related to machine control, stock control, energy consumption monitoring, movement control, position and speed of equipment, tracking incoming and outgoing information, work safety and cybersecurity improvements.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), therefore, has the power to potentiate the productive process. The benefits to the productive plants are varied: Improvements in the use of assets, in production, cost reduction, operations and shutdowns, speed in data analysis and decision making and, therefore, several opportunities for new business.
How to stay safe?
It is critical to think of methods to avoid security breaches in this industry 4.0. That is undeniable. We’re not thinking anymore IF it’s important to invest in advanced security systems, but, HOW to do that.
The more devices connected to the network, the more opportunities to exploit failures will exist. It is up to manufacturers and users of these services to collaborate for the security of this ecosystem. Upgrading software, maintaining secure authentication networks, investing in encryption, and perimeter security, are just a few of the basic steps to take.
And they are the most basic points usually neglected. In addition, IoT devices, often because of an architecture limitation, do not have enough resources to implement application-level security basics. Therefore, the need to apply layers of protection that soften these limitations, bringing a higher level of security for these communications.
In order to stay safe, it is also important for the company to establish a solid security policy, raising possible risks, allowing integration between IT and automation in the search and solution of possible failures, as well as constant monitoring of IoT devices and to have damage contingency methods.
Impacts of security breaches
The context presented so far gives an idea of the impacts generated by security failures in the industry 4.0. The trend is that in the coming years the manufacturing environments are highly automated, with minimal human intervention, substantially increasing the productivity of the industry and generating a host of other benefits to the business.
However, as these environments are totally dependent on technology, they are also susceptible to virtual threat action and the impact of security claims takes on even greater proportions. In order to materialize this impact, it is sufficient to account for the losses generated by the unavailability of part or all of the production line for a period of one hour. Undoubtedly this time represents a financial loss with impact proportional to the type of business.
Companies need to invest in professionals, strategies and equipment that ensure the integrity of data that travels between their devices and networks.
Among the main measures to implement a minimally acceptable security infrastructure, we highlight the importance of user and equipment authentication, access control, data encryption, technologies for recognizing the behavior of networked devices, among other more advanced possibilities of security. to ensure peace of mind for technology analysts and industry managers.
There is no way to keep a competitive company without dipping into all the features available in this digital world, especially with the possibilities presented by the internet of things. However, plunging into this world without thinking of solutions that avoid and correct possible safety claims, is a risk that must be evaluated with caution.
If you need help to overcome the challenges associated with IoT, talk to one of our experts! We can collaborate to achieve superior results with the use of cutting-edge technologies.
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