“When it comes to data — if you can’t protect it, don’t collect it,” says Maarten Bron of Riscure.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a report on its workshop on home IoT devices.
Key takeaways which apply to other IoT devices like connected vehicles:
- Creating a more secure IoT ecosystem for consumer devices can benefit all manufacturers and the “common good.”
- Manufacturers are challenged by balancing the design and functionality of consumer IoT devices against maintaining a viable cost structure for their target market.
- Manufacturers can benefit by having a recognized business model around a “connected device lifecycle” that covers the mechanical and information technology (IT) components of a home IoT device.
- Consumers cannot bear the sole responsibility of maintaining cybersecurity on IoT devices.
- Software and patch updates are critical to maintaining security, but a consumer’s ability to deploy them is limited.
- Privacy plays a role in the manufacture and consumption of home IoT devices but is not well understood by consumers, especially third-party sharing.
- Consumer education about home IoT cybersecurity should be an ongoing, shared responsibility among stakeholders.