It is difficult to find a magazine or online technical publication that is not discussing the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT is rapidly spreading beyond the technical realm and infiltrating business and government publications. Just recently I received a report that projected the number of IoT devices by 2020 would reach more than 210 billion. A business publication recently ran an article that stated the “Internet of Things really is the next frontier for businesses.” Earlier this year PWC released numbers that forecast the Internet of Things will grow to just under $9 trillion by 2020. Of that, $890 billion is expected to be applied to construction/infrastructure. The top two categories are consumer electronics at $2.225 trillion and automotive at $1.780 trillion.
If you think of these numbers in terms of cybersecurity, a few things immediately jump out as concerns. First think of the increase in the cyberattack surface area: We will be adding on average over 1,500 IoT devices a second — (many with little or no cyber protection.) Each one of those 210 billion IoT devices is a potential bot on a botnet. As one colleague puts it, it is harder and more costly to protect, defend and maintain 100 doors than one door. Next think of all the data that will be collected from those devices. They will provide new and unique insights into every aspect of our lives. Stop and think of the value of some of that data.
Last week Chris Painter, the State Department’s Cyber Coordinator, openly admitted the United States is still struggling withto define basic definitions in the digital realm. He specifically pointed to defining what constitutes a cyber weapon. Given that we will be adding on average over 1,500 IoT devices a second — (many with little or no cyber protection) — he is well justified in making that statement. We have just over 50 months before 2020; perhaps if we all work together and pull our heads out of the sand, – possibly, we can get ahead of this threat. Then again, it is politics.
