A new report from
Kaspersky,
With superpower comes super responsibility:
benefits and challenges of IoT in business, has revealed that the use
of Internet of Things (IoT) business platforms is growing year-over-year in
almost all industries. In 2019, nearly two-thirds (61%) of companies globally
implemented IoT applications as the technology benefits businesses with
savings, new income streams and increased production efficiency. However, the
fact remains that 28% of organizations experienced cybersecurity incidents
targeted at connected devices, highlighting the importance of protecting IoT
technology.
IoT increases the level of comfort we experience at home and
in our cities, and helps to solve resourcing issues. It also allows
organizations to measure production performance, introduce automation and
increase efficiencies. Due to these benefits, Gartner predicts there will
be approximately 25 billion IoT connections by 2025. However, the popularity of
IoT systems makes them more susceptible to experiencing cybersecurity
incidents, and thus they must be appropriately protected so they can continue
delivering a positive impact on businesses and people.
IoT platforms are used in many different use cases including
smart cities, grids, metering, transportation and logistics, as well as
automated manufacturing and connected heating, venting and air conditioning
(HVAC). Kaspersky's report shows that the use of IoT platforms has increased in
almost all industries from 2018 to 2019, with the most significant growth in
hospitality (53% to 63%), healthcare (56% to 66%) and finance (60% to 68%). As
of 2019, IT and telecom (71%) and finance (68%) industries have embraced IoT
more than all other verticals.
The growth of IoT use is not slowing down despite potential
cybersecurity risks and incidents. As Kaspersky's survey shows, 28% of
companies using IoT platforms stated that they experienced incidents involving
non-computing connected devices last year. These incidents can be critical as
sensors and smart devices collect terabytes of data, including sensitive
information such as business data or customers' personal information.
Additionally, IoT platforms can be connected with critical systems like
traffic, power or transportation processes, so it is vital to ensure their
continuity and integrity.
"IIoT has clearly passed the "hype" stage, not to say
there isn't still hype, but there are serious technical and business process
results to apply today. The IIC has already started publishing results from our
testbeds. The biggest challenge the industry faces is resistance to change - or
to be radical - more efficient change. Industrial IoT means big changes in
every vertical, and they must come to terms with it," commented Dr. Richard
Soley, executive director, Industrial Internet Consortium.
"IoT is a powerful business enabler, but to reap its
benefits, organizations need to put in a considerable amount of effort," said
Grigory Sizov, head of Kaspersky OS Business Unit, Kaspersky. "It demands
dedicated business processes and expertise to ensure it is effectively
implemented. As the survey shows, cybersecurity is also a question that needs
resolving in the IoT space when it comes to security of equipment, technical
and organizational protection measures, data privacy, etc. It is important to
consider security at an early stage of IoT implementation, and we want to help
our customers address this task by developing IoT security solutions and
expertise within Kaspersky."
Read the
full
report to learn more about the IoT landscape, as well as the benefits
and challenges the technology brings to businesses.