It may sound like the title of a sci-fi horror film, but the Internet of Things (IoT) is creating threats and opportunities for businesses as connected devices are increasingly brought into the workplace, according to the Global IT association ISACA.
To help its members get to grips with the potential threats from the IoT, ISACA has issued new guidance in the form of a document called “Internet of Things: Risk and Value Considerations”.
And it has issued a list of nine questions which it recommends all business leaders ask themselves:
- How will the device be used from a business perspective, and what business value is expected?
- What threats are anticipated, and how will they be mitigated?
- Who will have access to the device, and how will their identities be established and proven?
- What is the process for updating the device in the event of an attack or vulnerability?
- Who is responsible for monitoring new attacks or vulnerabilities pertaining to the device?
- Have risk scenarios been evaluated and compared to anticipated business value?
- What personal information is collected, stored and/or processed by the IoT device?
- Do the individuals whose information is being collected know that it is being collected and used, and have they given consent?
- With whom will the data be shared?
These questions are particularly critical given that 43% of enterprises are leveraging IoT already, or have plans to do so in 2015, according to ISACA’s IT Risk/Reward Barometer survey.
“Connected devices are everywhere—from obvious ones, like smart watches and Internet-enabled cars, to ones most people may not even be aware of, such as smoke detectors,” said Robert Stroud, CGEIT, CRISC, international president of ISACA and vice president of strategy and innovation at CA Technologies. “Often, organizations can be using IoT without even realizing it—which means their risk management stakeholders are not involved and potential attack vectors are going unmonitored.”
ISACA’s free “Internet of Things: Risk and Value Considerations” guide was released today as a free download. The paper includes dos and don’ts for the IoT, and outlines the types of risks organisations must consider. The guide is the first in a series of IoT papers that will address security, privacy, compliance and assurance issues.
Links
Free publication: Internet of Things: Risk and Value Considerations
ISACA’s IT Risk/Reward Barometer survey
