(Editor's note: In this guest essay, Christophe Fabre, CEO of software services vendor Axway, outlines the pitfalls of connecting more and more objects and appliances to the web.)
The Internet of Things (IoT) promises to usher in exciting new ways of enhancing our lives, doing our jobs, conducting business, and more – simply by connecting everyday objects to the Internet.
But the intersection of our physical world with the ubiquitous always-on Internet opens a Pandora's Box of security and privacy risks that cannot be ignored. Consider this scenario: your Facebook account is hacked, and all of a sudden, your location, home security system, and even your car, are left vulnerable.
The business world faces its own security concerns: say your company uses barcodes, RFID, and GPS technology to track supply chain status, and you Internet-enable what used to flow only behind the company firewall. Now a competitor could potentially hack valuable business data, or even disrupt your entire supply chain.
Or maybe you're a healthcare provider that prescribes an Internet-connected blood pressure sensor to a patient; the data gets hacked, and your organization faces a hefty fine for a HIPAA violation.
For a solution to these security concerns, let's look at the technology behind the IoT. IoT devices – smart meters, fitness trackers, and even cars – communicate using Application Programming Interfaces. APIs are the glue that links the IoT together. If an attacker wishes tohack an IoT device, they will attack the API.
Therefore, the key to securing the IoT is securing APIs. The IoT is gaining momentum, bringing with it a host of challenges that make traditional Web security issues look obsolete. But we can make short work of these challenges by using an API-centric approach that lets IoT device makers layer on the necessary security.
This approach provide customers with secure and granular control of their devices and makes tampering of devices nearly impossible.
The IoT is gaining momentum, bringing with it a host of challenges that make traditional Web security issues look obsolete. But we can make short work of these challenges by using an API-centric approach that lets IoT device makers layer on the necessary security.
Without an API-centric approach, the security and privacy concerns of the IoT will close a world of opportunities for organizations and open a Pandora's Box of risks for hackers to exploit.