The Internet of Insecure Things
The IoT offers benefits to all industries, but the connectivity of these once isolated things also introduces new vulnerabilities that can affect our homes and industries. As well as promising convenience and efficiency, the IoT is a problem because a vast number of internet connected devices with poor default security create a large attack surface that bad actors could take advantage of for malicious ends. A variety of international organisations and government groups are working on issues pertaining to the IoT, but at present there’s no coordinated vision to implement standards for the IoT on a global scale. Similarly, in Australia, a host of different cyber agencies and industrial groups are working to overcome some of the cybersecurity issues that the IoT presents, but a coordinated strategy detailing how government and industry can collaborate on the IoT is needed.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has released an issues paper which gives a broad overview of IoT issues to increase awareness and public discussion on the IoT. In December 2017, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre produced a discussion draft asking stakeholders key questions about IoT regulation, governance, market incentives and security standards to help inform this issues paper.