IMPLEMENTING IOT IS HARS BUT WORTH IT

Many regard IoT as both the present and the future for businesses of all sizes. However, the possibilities and opportunities that the technology presents, in theory, can blind you and make it seem like implementing a fully functional IoT system is an easy ride. According to a study from Cisco, this is far from the truth.

74% of all surveyed companies stated that they had not been successful in their IoT initiatives. 60% had the opinion that IoT initiatives look good on paper but prove to be more complex than expected. This means that partnerships are crucial to get from the planning stages to successful implementation. Having realistic expectations, engaging in collaboration between IT and the business operation, and making sure your internal IT work seamlessly with external partnerships proved to be key in companies with successful IoT implementation.

INCREASED FOCUS ON SECURITY WHEN IMPLEMENTING IOT

IoT-based attacks have unfortunately increased in frequency as the technology is continuing to spread more widely. According to a survey from Gartner, almost 20% of the surveyed companies had observed at least one IoT-based attack in the past three years. Protecting against these threats are of crucial importance for companies who rely on their IoT environment to execute their business operation. However, it is just as important for companies that are just now starting up their IoT implementation projects. Being aware of the importance of security means that your business can include security calculations into the IoT implementation budget.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN IOT SECURITY CONCERNS?

New IoT devices are released every day. They crowd the market with cheap and unsafe alternatives (and not all high-end products are safe to use). One of the biggest IoT security concerns is that some IoT developers are more concerned with product design than with security.

Insecure software and firmware is another big security risk. All kinds of software need continuous updates to eliminate risks. However, for many IoT devices, updates are not made automatically, and even if they are updated, they are sometimes not optimized for secure updates.

Even if many IoT devices can be used without user intervention, they still need to be physically secured. For some industries, this is more of a threat than others. In a warehouse environment, the risks of someone tampering with a physical device may not be that high. However, on an outdoor location, such as a construction site, it is more of an issue.

In essence, it is crucial that you use secure devices from a trusted company, that uses secure updating, and that you can guarantee physical security for your devices. These are two measures that most companies can take to increase their IoT security:

1. Visibility

Make sure that you know what all your devices do and the level of risk of each one of them.

2. Network Segregation

Keep different devices as separate from each other as possible.

Another factor for IoT security is the emerging 5G network. Many companies have for a long time been hesitant towards going from wired to wireless. Since 5G delivers better performance and better security, it will likely lead to an increasing amount of IoT implementation projects.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

To harness the power in next-gen, big-data-driven, and intelligent automation, the foundation of the technology needs to be sound. For new companies that are making their first IoT-related decisions, this is much easier than for established companies. Established companies must manage their IT environment. They must make sure that they can integrate new hardware and software into their established practices. Your IoT technology needs:

• The highest levels of security
• Data delivery performance, bi-directional communications
• Flexibility, easy integrations
• Industry standards that allow for interoperability

It is common that automated systems are used without being connected to each other. This leads to data being stored in silos. Another challenge is that many systems use outdated applications that were made to work for specific hardware. This makes it difficult to integrate them into more advanced IoT systems. Therefore, it is important to invest in a complete solution for your IoT projects. One of the keys when working on IoT implementation is to make sure that the new system consists of components that are based on industry standards that allow for interoperability. Being able to share and consolidate data is key to get the most out of your IoT projects.

MAKING SURE THE TECHNOLOGY IS EASY TO USE

As we mentioned earlier in this blog post, most companies feel that IoT is “easier said than done”. A company can buy the latest technology and implement it perfectly, but if its users cannot use it properly, it will be inefficient in the end. It is always best to go for a solution that is easy to manage and use. It's even better if you implement it as a complete solution.

By using IoT solutions that don’t require constant involvement also means that your staff can spend their time analysing and working on the generated data, instead of managing IoT-related problems.

Wittra has several products that can help your company in implementing efficient and secure IoT solutions. We offer a complete solution that contains all you need to become IoT-ready. We also dedicate ourselves to supporting our customers, making sure that IoT becomes as good in practice as it sounds in theory.

NEED OUR HELP WITH IMPLEMENTING IOT?

There's no doubt that you can run into issues and questions when you try to implement IoT into a business. Therefore, we here at Wittra are always at your side ready to help. Let us know if you would like to receive more advice and information about IoT implementation. Or perhaps you would like to know more about Wittra's various IoT solutions (we have everything from routers to IoT sensors)? Contact us and we will do what we can to help you.