What is IoT privacy?

Are you a big fan of IoT? Do you want IoT devices to be a permanent part of your firm? First, take a look at one of the biggest issues you could be facing by using IoT devices.

What are IoT devices?

IoT is the abbreviation of the Internet of Things, but we could easily say it “the internet of personal data”.IoT is a system of interrelated computing devices. These unique devices contain one of a kind identifiers and the amazing capacity to transfer the data over a network without any human-to-human or human-to-machine exchange.

In simple words, it is the device that communicates with the cloud and can change its operations according to the user’s needs, without any human interference. Its remarkable advantage includes its ability to monitor and to anticipate.

What is IoT privacy?

The wildest part of having an IoT device is that the user is giving up his privacy bit by bit, without even realizing it. The reason behind it is lack of awareness, regarding which data is being collected and which way it is being used. IoT privacy refers to the issue where the manufacturer of the device has the ability to monitor and to use the data that they get from these devices.

As the user connects more and more devices to the system, it increases the threat surface of the system. The ability to limit privacy is necessary to establish trust with an IoT system device. The time has arrived, when consumers should demand more security and privacy protection than they are getting right now—the extent of data privacy that does not leave your firm vulnerable to corporate surveillance and data breaches.

There are different laws and regulations regarding data security. The most prominent one is the Eu's General Data Privacy Regulation that was implemented in 2018. It says that both the manufacturer and the user of IoT devices will be held responsible for their usage of personal data.

Questions to Consider for IoT Data Privacy

IoT privacy should be the top priority for organizations using IoT devices. Here Are some questions that IoT users and developers should be asking themselves:

• Is my IoT device collecting personal data from others? If yes then what kind of data is it?
• Where is the data being sent?
• How is this data being used?
• Who has access to the data?
• Where is the data being stored?
• How long is this data being kept?
• Should we build a time frame for data expiration? Should the data be deleted after the time frame ends?
• Is the data secure during transfer? How secure is it?
• How will the data breaches be handled and which entities will be informed in the case of a data breach?

How can you make your IoT devices more secure?

IoT devices can play a vital role in securing your firm’s private data from getting misused.here are some ways you can enhance privacy through your IoT devices

• The first thing you should do is buy your IoT devices from a reliable vendor. Some manufacturers have stricter privacy policies than others. Try to choose the stricter option.
• Some developers also give you options to choose from the privacy settings. Choose the developer who empowers you to control your privacy settings rather than taking control itself.
• The first thing you should do after buying an IoT device is to change the default name and password. Try to use complex passwords for safety purposes.
• Change the default settings before you bring the IoT device in the workplace. The default setting may be benefiting the developers more than it's benefiting you.
• Set up a guest network for guests and temporary users, without the IoT devices. Implement a policy where only regular employees would be able to access the network with IoT devices. Try to restrict the number of employees on the main network as well.
• Try to limit the features as much as you can. There may be a lot of features that your office work wouldn't need. Disable these features to limit the info leak and to gain more control over the devices
• Keep your device up to date. When the manufacturer wants to update the device, do it immediately. Don't put off the new installations because it may be some kind of new feature to improve the device’s security and privacy.
• Also, keep a check on the new update. Try to be aware of the updates manufacturers are suggesting and learn if these updations are compromising your firm’s privacy in any way. Being vigilant is the key to avoiding privacy issues in today’s time.
• The best you can do for your firm’s data security is to get an excellent cybersecurity team. Your team should be qualified enough to handle every emerging threat that your firm could be facing. Hire the people with relevant certifications and keep on updating their knowledge by renewing their certifications. A superb option would be to encourage your employees to enrol in cisa online course, ceh online training and comptia certification training. This way they would be able to update their skills within the comfort of their offices and without any wastage of time. 

IoTs can be the best thing that has happened to your office, Or they could become your worst nightmare. Preventing data leakages should be your priority while adding IoTs in your systems. Be vigilant, be aware and you could get the best that technology has to offer.

Summary

• IoT is the abbreviation of the Internet of Things, but we could easily say it “the internet of personal data”.
•  IoT privacy refers to the issue where the manufacturer of the device has the ability to monitor and to use the data that they get from these devices.
• You can tackle the issue by buying your IoT devices from a reliable vendor,
•  By Choosing the developer who empowers you to control your privacy settings rather than taking control itself.
• By changing the default name and password
• By Setting up a guest network for guest users.
• By trying to limit the features
• By keeping your devices up to date and by hiring cybersecurity employees with proper certifications.