IoT And Security

What problems can be encountered when using the IoT?

Malware

Today’s IoT devices can be infected by a variety of malware at different stages of their operation. In most cases, malware (viruses, Trojans and worms) typically targets local operation and exploitation at the operating system level, depending on the complexity of the attack and its execution. The main purpose of malware is to disrupt ongoing operations and take over control of the device. IoT are very vulnerable since they often lack security software.

Disclosure of private key

Gaining access to the private key (used for encryption) and/or personal information stored on an IoT device is a tidbit for an attacker because it allows the ‘root of trust’ systems to be compromised. This allows the attacker to gain control of communication processes, take over the computing power of the device, and most importantly, sensitive information.

Software-directed fault injection

Another class of attack on IoT devices is software-directed fault insertion into the hardware while the device is running. Although this type of attack is relatively complex, as it requires in-depth knowledge of platform-dependent hardware as well as underlying software, a remedy for such an attack is very difficult to implement. Since this class of attack looks for and exploits minor vulnerabilities in the hardware, it is useless to use purely software-based defence mechanisms.