Securing Small-Business and Home Internet of Things (IoT) Devices

The rapid growth of IoT devices has the potential to provide many benefits. It is also a cause for concern because IoT devices are tempting targets for attackers. State-of-the-art security software protects full featured devices, such as laptops and phones, from most known threats, but many IoT devices, such as connected thermostats, security cameras, and lighting control systems, have minimal security or are unprotected. Because they are designed to be inexpensive and limited purpose, IoT devices may have unpatched software flaws. They also often have processing, timing, memory, and power constraints that make them challenging to secure. Users often do not know what IoT devices are on their networks and lack means for controlling access to them over their life cycles.