Background
At the core of their operational objectives, smart devices aim to have extensive connections that globally connect the users. While extending the existing connections is good as it offers increased information availability, it has the threats of over exposing people’s data to a wide group of people who are also participants in the same technology (Zhang, 2010). Furthermore, the users of these devices have to contend with malicious individuals who aim to use the operational methods of these devices to expose their vulnerabilities and commit malicious acts. In fact, this outcome, unlike data exposure, is a verifiable outcome that has been on the rise since 2011, where acts of hacking and influenced attacks have grown and will continue to do so in the coming years. Now, remember that smart devices in past have been shielded from the market as a consequence of their vulnerabilities and are only now being broadly introduced after the advancement in security technologies (Delac, 2012). Therefore, while withstanding the current threats, these devices face inherent threats as a result of their overall design and the operational methods of their users.
When it comes to computational devices such computers and mobile phones, the overall aim has always been to increase their operational activities while minimising the user inputs. This objective is slowly being realised by smart devices which connect, share and interact with one another while having minimal facilitation from the user. Consider smartphones which today can carry out all the activities and operations that in the past would have taken powerful computers (Delac, 2012). Furthermore, the evolution of technological systems has seen these devices evolve into the modern items that are small and slick in size to offer maximum convenience to the user, an outcome that is set to increase in the future (Privat, 2005). Nevertheless, the application of smart devices remains the same where they aim to increase operational connectivity thus boost information availability.
Smart devices have two major issues that affect their security, issues that predispose them to either security vulnerabilities or create conditions that facilitate the said vulnerabilities. First is the connectivity that they offer, where isolation a key concept of maintaining the security of networks is lost. Secondly, is their extensive data collection and retention outcomes that highly exposes the user’s information (The Windows club, 2017). The first issue is common today where faults in a single device e.g. a smart television set can expose all other connected devices. Now, this outcome is further aggravated by the amount of information stored in these devices which in the end subjects the users to many security threats.
- What are smart devices and where are they applied in real life?
- What security threats faces these devices?
- What security vulnerabilities exposes smart devices to security threats?
The Contentious Issues (Vague Areas)
As outlined before, the prevalence of smart devices stems from the fact that security measures have grown over the last few years. However, their extended functionalities make their maintenance a big challenge in protecting them from the wide range of security threats that face them today. This functionality outcome influence the following threats outlined in this section.
Connection threats (wireless issues): mobile devices characterise the modern market where wireless technologies such as Wireless LAN (Local area network) facilitate connections as compared to wired networks. Unlike their wired counterparts, these wireless connections expose smart devices to many security threats since they can be accessed by anybody having an access device i.e. another smart device. Moreover, this threat is also influenced by user’s laxity and negligence to protect their networks that in most cases have basic or zero restrictions (Sujithra & Padmavathi, 2012). Now, with this in mind, intruders can connect to wireless network and attack all the devices connected to them, which in most cases are the smart devices.
Break-in threats: facilitated by the manufacturer, these threats are caused by programming errors and faults which introduce severe vulnerabilities into smart devices which will affect their overall functionalities let alone the security. These threats will expose user’s information by either leaking information online (unintentionally) or by creating avenues for attackers to exploit. In the end, the devices are left overly exposed which affect their security measures.
Malware threats: From transferring documents to surfing the web, these devices continuously interact with malicious programs and files that if installed manipulates the devices in accordance with the developer intentions. The outcome of malware attacks is always severer in smart devices because of their fast mode of operation which facilitates the transfer of malware infections. In essence, a virus or worm can easily affect the entire device due to its extended functionality and connectivity (Polla, Martinelli & Sgandurra, 2012). Nevertheless, these malware attacks and threats will compromise the security of the smart devices which is used as an avenue to extract valuable information. Moreover, others malware threats will have other malicious intentions such as creating operational difficulties as seen in the next threat.
Denial of service (Botnets): consider the current set-up of technological devices in homes of workplace areas. One will find extended connections starting from simple devices like alarm clocks to vehicles. These devices are extensively connected which creates a serious liability in case a single device is compromised (Walters, 2012). Now, users will have stringent measures for the devices they commonly interact with i.e. computers and smartphones however, they will have minimal considerations for other devices e.g. refrigeration devices. Therefore, an attacker or intruder will use the lowly protected devices to access the networks that house sensitive information. They also can subject the said networks to congestion through attacks such as denial of service (DOS) attacks where overwhelming service requests are given to affect the overall functionality of systems and devices (MacAfee, 2016). Note that DOS attacks are facilitated by extensive connections an outcome highlighted as a functionality principle of smart devices.
Research Questions
Unlike the workplace area, most home environments are characterised by basic security protocols where only the most sensitive devices are protected. Furthermore, access points such Wi-Fi hotspots are always activated even when they are not in use. Therefore, when attacks or vulnerabilities are experienced in single devices, the security threats are always extensive because of the low-security measures. Moreover, the lack of isolation in most networks provides the threats wider fields for attacks which further influences the security issues/threats facing smart devices.
As result of these outcomes, the developers and producers of smart devices have started influencing the security measures put in place by the users. Smart devices now come equipped with basic security features such as anti-virus and extensive authentication procedures such as passwords and biometric scans. These measures are the industrial response to the threats facing the technology, factors that could easily affect their application in the future. On the other hand, users are now more vigilant owing to the sensitization programs given by manufacturers on the security threats that face their smart devices (Ruggiero & Foote, 2011). Therefore, smart devices have influenced the security measures adopted by technological systems as they present the adverse threats of a connected world, which today is a future prospect, owing to the technologies of the internet and internet of things
Conclusion
Smart devices are no longer characterised by big computers in stationary locations, instead, they consist of miniaturised components that can be held by the palm of the hand. This outcome has facilitated their functionalities and application in the real world. However, the same outcome (widespread application) has also led to their vulnerabilities where the probability of threats has increased drastically. For one, attackers will focus on systems with huge traffic to increase their chances of accomplishing their objectives. On the other hand, to meet the demands of the market, manufacturers have continuously produced new devices to satisfy their customers by making new and innovative products. Some of these devices house many vulnerabilities as they have many liabilities as a result of inadequate development procedures. Therefore, when introduced to the market the new smart devices expose the users to the threats outlined above. Nevertheless, smart devices seem to be the technologies of the future where information availability and accessibility will be crucial components. In response, the industry should continuously influence the adopted security measures to minimise the modern and future security threats.
References
Delac. (2012). Security Threats for Mobile Platforms. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.fer.unizg.hr/_download/repository/Goran_Delac%2C_rad_KDI.pdf
MacAfee. (2016). Mobile threats report. What’s on the horizon for 2016. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-mobile-threat-report-2016.pdf
Privat. G. (2005). Smart devices: New Telecom Applications & Evolution of Human Interfaces. France Telecom, R&D Division, Technologies Smart Devices & New Human Interfaces Laboratory. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www-sop.inria.fr/everest/events/cassis05/Transp/privat.pdf
Polla. M, Martinelli. F & Sgandurra. D. (2012). A Survey on Security for Mobile Devices. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.iit.cnr.it/sites/default/files/A%20survey%20on%20Security%20for%20mobile%20devices.pdf
Ruggiero. P & Foote. J. (2011). Cyber Threats to Mobile Phones. US-CERT. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/cyber_threats-to_mobile_phones.pdf
Sujithra. M & Padmavathi. G. (2012). Mobile Device Security: A Survey on Mobile Device Threats, Vulnerabilities and their Defensive Mechanism. International Journal of Computer Applications, 56(14). Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://research.ijcaonline.org/volume56/number14/pxc3883163.pdf
The Windows club. (2017). Security threats in Smart Devices and Privacy Issues. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/security-threats-smart-devices-privay-issues
Walters. P. (2012). The Risks of Using Portable Devices. US-CERT. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/RisksOfPortableDevices.pdf
Zhang. L. (2012). Mobile Security Threats and Issues — A Broad Overview of Mobile Device Security. Tian Jin University, Tian Jin, China. Retrieved 17 May, 2017, from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/73cd/127c6a692e4a19e8c0272c0200905940d4ee.pdf
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