Security Architecture, Endpoint/Device Security, IoT, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security, Endpoint/Device Security

Debate: The Internet of Things is an enterprise problem

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In this month's debate, experts discuss the possible issues that the Internet of Things presents for the industry.

FOR

Barry Shteiman, director of security strategy, Imperva

The world is becoming hyper-connected. We have already accepted the fact that everything happens online. In the past decade we moved from going to our bank branches to cashing-in our check, to scanning it with our smartphones on the go. We've gone from reunion meetings to Facebook walls, and from mall culture to online shopping. We have accepted the advancements that allow us to perform tasks easier from the comfort of our homes.

All of the services mentioned above are enterprises. They are the ones that provide platforms for our online activity, they are the ones that trade information and, unfortunately, they are the targets for data breaches that – in the end – effect individuals.

Hackers don't go for individuals, period. It makes no financial sense. Hackers go for data holders, such as online stores that hold credit card information, etc., because the goal is capital gain. It is for that reason that regulation enforces the need to secure and audit data stored and transacted to keep individuals safe.

AGAINST

Geoff Webb, director, solution strategy, NetIQ

The Internet of Things is not by itself a problem for enterprises (or at least, not a new one). While the Internet of Things will force massive changes in the way businesses interact with their customers, employees and products, it should be clear by now that change has become a constant for security practitioners. In fact, many trends that were first viewed by security executives as “problems” are now viewed as business opportunities. Every change forces enterprises to adapt, whether it be today's explosion of mobile devices and cloud services or tomorrow's Internet of Things.

So the question is then whether each enterprise is ready to deal with the data, security and identity management challenges that the Internet of Things will demand. Failure to be able to understand the relationships between people, products and data will leave businesses essentially blind – and therefore not only highly vulnerable, but also unable to compete and thrive in a new, always-on economy.

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