Enumerating the factors influencing IoT/OT security
Attacks on internet devices have increased manifold in recent years and are commonplace now. The reasons for this are the following:
- Weak credentials: How often have we ignored notifications to change our default passwords? We cannot forget the Mirai botnet attack, which made use of default usernames and passwords of this kind.
- Legacy software and hardware: We don’t always see IoT devices being updated. With the pace at which technology is growing, it becomes very easy for attackers to find weaknesses. Hence, it is of paramount importance to always update devices.
- Proprietary protocols and the complex structure of OT devices: With so many types of devices in use, we can only imagine the many proprietary protocols and the complex structures they would bring in. Siemens, Schneider, ABB, Rockwell Automation, and so on all use closed protocols.
- Anomalous operational events: Operations such as start, stop, and restart are all priority commands for Retentive Timers (RTOs), PLCs, actuators, and so on. Hence, it becomes a priority to clearly distinguish legitimate events from anomalous events.
These are some of the obvious factors that affect IoT/OT security. As we proceed further through the book, we will see more of these factors and how MDIoT addresses the challenges involved.