No doubt, you have read about the high-end, Internet-connected coffee machine that comes complete with downloadable drink recipes and a gaping security hole that reportedly allows it to be taken over by hackers.
A hackable coffee machine may seem innocuous. But it is an example of the new ultra-connected and much more insecure electronic era we've entered, an era some call "the Internet of things," when all kinds of Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled devices communicate over cellular networks, WiFi, Ethernet (wired and wireless), and, in the industrial setting, sensor-based networks.
According to Harbor Research, there will be anywhere from 500 million to 1 billion devices communicating continuously over the Internet by the year 2010. These devices — many of them on the factory floor — will enable new services, including status monitoring and usage tracking of assets, materials replenishment, remote diagnostics, and automated repair. Collectively, this will enable about $500 billion in value-added revenue from services provided by vendors and manufacturers alike, Harbor estimates.
But this world of hyper-connectivity, where virtually any industrial machine, instrument, or sensor can be networked, comes with a cautionary caveat: Managing this ever-increasing "network of things" will require new types of security tools and strategies. That's because, as the number of networked devices grows, so does the risk that there could be a security breach caused by the inadequately protected coffeemaker in the kitchen or the gauge in the refinery.