The world of business is becoming increasingly connected and the manufacturing industry is no exception. We live in an age where the transfer of information is commonplace and used to great effect in developing new technologies. Sensors monitor everything from traffic flow to natural disasters. We are soon to have a system in the UK where all homes are fitted with networked smart sensors to monitor and control energy usage.
All these are potentially positive innovations, but protecting all this newly acquired data is often overlooked. Many new products are being designed with a focus on functionality at the expense of security.
At the moment, hackers focus on personal computers because their prevalence means that time spent finding security flaws offers big rewards. As new technology becomes used to store valuable information, hackers will become more motivated to attack them. If this is not addressed now, we will end up with global systems built upon an unsecurable infrastructure, and find ourselves constantly fire fighting to try and keep ahead of the criminals.
Most hackers are motivated by one of two things: stealing information for financial gain (or in order to cause general mayhem), and progress their individual prowess. When dealing with sensitive information such as medical, financial or environmental data, either is potentially devastating.
Getting it right at the design stage helps avoid serious problems for users of the technology. This could be anything from blackmail, to fines for security breaches, to unwittingly making multi-million pound decisions based on incorrect data. Even if nothing goes wrong, it will reduce the costs of security upgrades and provide confidence to customers. If manufacturers take effective security measures and make the case for them to their customers, they can gain the business edge which will outweigh the upfront costs.
No system is completely secure against people who spend every waking hour trying to break security. Manufacturers can ensure that they minimize this risk by making informed decisions from the start.
When designing technology there are several key issues to take into account; perhaps the most obvious is software. Three quarters of all security breaches involve software vulnerabilities, so it’s worth getting right in the early stages. The solution will depend on the product and its intended use. One option is to have software designed for purpose. This can address specific security issues, and the uniqueness of the system will mean hackers are less likely to see an attack as worthwhile. The downside of this is that it ties manufacturers to one vendor and the overall security of the solution is likely to be less well tested than the more standard offerings.
Those who pick an existing operating system need to do so carefully, not just go for cheapest or easiest. A little research will reveal how secure the system is and the potential flaws. Cost and functionality must, of course, be considered, but so must security.
When integrating software with the product, it pays to disable anything that is not needed. Not only will this make products more secure, it will mean they run faster and improve energy efficiency.
Physical security is also extremely important, both for the device and for any removable data storage it contains. Manufacturers need to consider what happens if someone finds or steals the product. Protective measures can range from a simple belt clip, to GPS tracking devices. Passwords and locking mechanisms after a period of inactivity are still some of the most effective methods of protection.
Underpinning all of this is fundamental risk management. All solutions will be different. Some require a big security investment, some very little.
The important point is that manufacturers understand the risks to their products, the likelihood of an attack and the potential damage a security breach could do to their customers. Once this is established, they need to take informed decisions about how to approach these issues at the early stages of the manufacturing process.
All these are potentially positive innovations, but protecting all this newly acquired data is often overlooked. Many new products are being designed with a focus on functionality at the expense of security.
At the moment, hackers focus on personal computers because their prevalence means that time spent finding security flaws offers big rewards. As new technology becomes used to store valuable information, hackers will become more motivated to attack them. If this is not addressed now, we will end up with global systems built upon an unsecurable infrastructure, and find ourselves constantly fire fighting to try and keep ahead of the criminals.
Most hackers are motivated by one of two things: stealing information for financial gain (or in order to cause general mayhem), and progress their individual prowess. When dealing with sensitive information such as medical, financial or environmental data, either is potentially devastating.
Getting it right at the design stage helps avoid serious problems for users of the technology. This could be anything from blackmail, to fines for security breaches, to unwittingly making multi-million pound decisions based on incorrect data. Even if nothing goes wrong, it will reduce the costs of security upgrades and provide confidence to customers. If manufacturers take effective security measures and make the case for them to their customers, they can gain the business edge which will outweigh the upfront costs.
No system is completely secure against people who spend every waking hour trying to break security. Manufacturers can ensure that they minimize this risk by making informed decisions from the start.
When designing technology there are several key issues to take into account; perhaps the most obvious is software. Three quarters of all security breaches involve software vulnerabilities, so it’s worth getting right in the early stages. The solution will depend on the product and its intended use. One option is to have software designed for purpose. This can address specific security issues, and the uniqueness of the system will mean hackers are less likely to see an attack as worthwhile. The downside of this is that it ties manufacturers to one vendor and the overall security of the solution is likely to be less well tested than the more standard offerings.
Those who pick an existing operating system need to do so carefully, not just go for cheapest or easiest. A little research will reveal how secure the system is and the potential flaws. Cost and functionality must, of course, be considered, but so must security.
When integrating software with the product, it pays to disable anything that is not needed. Not only will this make products more secure, it will mean they run faster and improve energy efficiency.
Physical security is also extremely important, both for the device and for any removable data storage it contains. Manufacturers need to consider what happens if someone finds or steals the product. Protective measures can range from a simple belt clip, to GPS tracking devices. Passwords and locking mechanisms after a period of inactivity are still some of the most effective methods of protection.
Underpinning all of this is fundamental risk management. All solutions will be different. Some require a big security investment, some very little.
The important point is that manufacturers understand the risks to their products, the likelihood of an attack and the potential damage a security breach could do to their customers. Once this is established, they need to take informed decisions about how to approach these issues at the early stages of the manufacturing process.
