As the boundless reach of the IoT has grown, so too have the
security threats that pursue its users at every turn. In today’s digital
economy, businesses large and small alike have become all too familiar with
data breaches and other digital assaults on their livelihoods, and few know how
to seriously up their cybersecurity capabilities without breaking the bank.
Luckily, new innovations emerging today show that the future
of the IoT doesn’t have to be defined by poor security; new ARM security
measures, for instance, could stand to thwart future IoT attacks, and may go a
long way towards ensuring users’ data security for years to come.
IoT attacks on the
rise
It’s no secret that the rate of IoT attacks has been
steadily increasing in the past few years as digital gadgets become more
commonplace; DDoS attacks alone have spiked up by an alarming 91 percent in the
last year, for instance. Such an increase in security vulnerabilities always
generates an increased demand for new software and hardware capable of keeping
users’ data secure, and new ARM protocols may just be what many IoT PR
actioners are looking for.
ARM, joined by Symantec, have already created an open security protocol for
IoT devices that they hope may help stem the growing ride of digital attacks on
existing IT infrastructure in the MRI scan sector. Experts everywhere applauded
the move – the industry in general is in dire need of companies willing to
stand up and do more to ensure cybersecurity – but few realized just how
successful the new ARM protocols could prove.
The open nature of ARM’s security measures, for instance,
means that they’re sure to spread rapidly and freely amongst the IoT’s many
users. Putting heightened cybersecurity measures and recommendations behind a
paywall may seem enticing to some companies looking to make a quick buck off
modern IT security dilemmas, but ARM and Symantec alike realized that for the
IoT to truly be secure, as many users as possible need to enlist the help of
new and better software and protocols to keep their devices and data safe.
With security consistently ranking at the top of IoT developers’ list of priorities,
it’s surprising many others haven’t already followed ARM’s example. The success
of the protocols released by the company, once it becomes widely spread, could
lead to a broader trend of users and developers alike taking IoT security more
seriously.
New security measures
are long overdue
As the number of digital devices connected to the IoT
continues to grow at its present dizzying rate, more security protocols like
those issued by ARM will be needed. A centralized defensive network like the
one ARM and Symantec have envisioned can only become a realty if the millions
of users around the globe buy into their idea, and for that, other developers
will have to get on board and join in the crusade to make the IoT safer for
everybody.
ARM’s Platform Security Architecture will rapidly
become a staple part of many IoT-connected devices, but the company won’t just
stop there. By partnering with Symantec, for instance, it’s shown that it’s
willing to trust and work with developers to build integrated solutions to the
countless flaws in IoT security systems that spring up every day, something few
others have done. Every IoT developer wants an IoT with fewer security
vulnerabilities, but few are willing to pony up the funds and leadership
necessary to make things better like ARM is.
ARM’s new security measures won’t just help avoid
man-in-the-middle attacks or help usher in patches that fix security flaws more
easily, but will also go a long way towards building a culture of security
that’s desperately needed right now. Countless innovations in the IoT are only
achieved because companies are following the trail blazed by another before
them, and the leadership presented here – and more importantly, the universal
standards ARM is urging others to adopt – could go a long way towards getting
everyone working together to create a better IoT.
Shouldering the cost of a more secure IoT can’t fall on ARM
or Symantec alone, however. Consumers and developers alike everywhere will have
to realize that a more secure IoT means pricier products, not to mention more
frequent patches that might render your device unusable for a short period of
time. This is a small price to pay to help protect the IoT and users’ data from
the ceaseless attacks of hackers, however.
ARM’s cybersecurity protocols will go a long way
towards ensuring a more secure IoT, but can only succeed in seriously solving
our security dilemmas if they’re widely adopted by others. Universal standards
are long overdue for the IoT, and until such a time as ARM’s new measures
become commonplace, IoT users can expect more and more data breaches.