Finding Security Among The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is here, and growing. Websites, apps and electronic devices may make daily life and doing business more than convenient than ever, but their use and popularity also means a massive amount of confidential data deeply embedded within the wider web. The more we use the Internet, and the devices that connect to it, the more that information proliferates. This is especially true for the finance and healthcare sectors.

Digital and connected diagnostic and screening systems in the healthcare field are expected to reach more than 40 percent global penetration by 2020. Connected medical devices are invaluable to medical facilities, staff and patients in advancing overall progress and care, but have the potential to affect information systems that protect patient safety and data. In a climate where up to 75 percent of hospital network traffic goes unmonitored, it’s important to plan for security BEFORE something is online and connected.

Likewise, the requirement of those in the financial services industry to maintain their real-time connection to the global economy can impair certain logical security precautions. For instance, eliminating a known vulnerability in one bank’s system can break necessary continuity with banks that have not yet upgraded their own. With valuable financial and sensitive personal information of millions of consumers on hand, businesses in finance must continually strengthen their security practices for effective defense and remediation efforts.

With the Internet of Things predicted to approach tens of billions of connected objects  by the year 2020, IT leaders will need to adapt their risk and security approach in tandem to meet the speed of technology.

For the latest on how to negotiate the Internet of Things and more, visit Raytheon|Websense Resources.