The Internet of Things has become a part of our lives, and it is hard to imagine one without the other. The web has transformed our way of life in unimaginable ways from the way we contact loved ones in the way we get our information.

One fact though that has been overlooked this far and might come back to haunt us is the issue of internet Security; it is inexistent. This poses a significant threat, as so much is at stake, including entire countries’ defense systems and the almost everything internet.

In October 2016, hackers managed to compromise entire systems in what is now known as the DDOS(distributed denial of service), attacks that crippled whole systems revealing the soft underbelly of the internet.

Steps that should be taken

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According to the latest figures, there are more than 6.4 billion IoT, internet of things, devices that are connected to the web currently available. By 2050, it is estimated the number will rise to 50 billion.

The sad news is there is no tangible way to increase the security of the devices already out there. The only way is to start manufacturing devices which have added security that can ward off an IoT attack like the one witnessed in October.

Matters get thicker though, because the manufacturers of these devices do not suffer when such attacks occur, it is the product users who do, from banks to airports to PCs.

The answer, then, lies in legislature designed to make it mandatory for iOT’s to come out of the production line with a set of security features. But again, this poses another challenge with legislators. Passing laws of such nature are not a priority at the moment, and according to them, there are bigger fish to fry.

Manufacturers are key in the evolution Internet of Things

Whatever angle this issue is looked at, producers of IoT devices are the key to unlocking the security or lack of on the internet. Strict laws have to be passed to force them to come up with products with safety by design policy.

This will go a long way to ensuring that future attacks can be handled. Experts in the industry are skeptical, though that politicians will take the initiative.  According to Alan Grau, President of Icon Labs, a provider of Internet of Things security, it might just make a bigger and much worse attack for the legislators to pay attention.

That may be too late though, as nobody knows the next target and it just might cause irreparable damage. Grau adds security should be likened to the necessity of putting brakes in a car.

Another expert James Scott, a senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, says, “I think we need to see a massive disaster for people on the hill to start enforcing standards.”

By this, he means a hospital grinding to a halt or smart-car features hacked into when in motion causing accidents on the roads. All those scenarios mean the loss of lives and only then will the lawmakers swing into action according to Scott.

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