How to Secure IoT Devices

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are computing devices that send and receive information via the Internet and run very specific applications, ranging from smart thermostats to smart TVs. The main advantage of these devices is their constant connectivity, which allows users to access information and control the devices remotely at any time.

Although many individuals and organizations are increasingly adopting IoT devices, not everyone has adequately secured those devices. Some users leave default credentials on their devices, leaving them wide open to attack, and others do not monitor their devices or networks, which could allow attackers to move about undetected.

Introduction to IoT device security

Remote access and interconnectivity make life easier for users; unfortunately, they also create opportunities for bad actors looking to steal your private data. Properly securing IoT and IIoT devices from cyber threats and attacks is crucial for protecting yourself from data theft, network compromise, and financial loss. Although IoT devices are convenient because they are interconnected on local networks, using them can be risky, especially if you don’t follow all recommended IoT security practices. That’s why organizations must prioritize security. Hence, they employ IT teams and MSPs to protect IoT devices and ensure their IoT networks can address potential vulnerabilities.

A few of the potential security vulnerabilities associated with IoT devices include weaknesses from inconsistent patches and updates, weak or default credentials, and poorly secured networks. Many IoT device owners set up their devices and then forget about them, frequently keeping the default username and password (which can easily be found on the dark web) and neglecting to take security precautions. This makes your IT environment vulnerable to attacks. To mitigate these risks, consulting with top US Pentest Companies can provide comprehensive security assessments and recommendations for safeguarding your IoT ecosystem.

If you’re looking to strengthen your understanding of threats beyond IoT, our video, 12 Most Common Cyberattacks: How to Spot and Prevent Them, covers essential tactics and defenses.

Security threats for IoT devices

The greatest strength of IoT devices is arguably their biggest weakness. The convenience these devices provide expands their attack surface, increasing your organization’s exposure to cybercrime.

Because IoT devices are part of a networked system of interconnected computing devices, compromised or insecure devices could be more vulnerable to:

• Distributed denial of service
• Firmware exploits
• Man-in-the-middle attacks
• Brute force
• Data interception
• Ransomware
• Radiofrequency jamming
• Unauthorized access

It’s also worth considering that:

• Many IoT devices have limited built-in security. In general, IoT endpoints have limited built-in security, especially for older devices. This implies that connected devices can remain unprotected for years. We’ll discuss how to mitigate this risk in the next section.
• IoT devices are almost always on and remotely accessible. IoT devices are connected 24/7, which makes them great when you need to connect to them remotely, but also means anyone can attempt to log in.
• Lack of awareness. Users often don’t think about IoT devices, thinking they are already secured. This lack of proactive IT management increases their risk of being hacked.
• Increased risk of sprawl. The more IoT devices you have, the higher the risk of software sprawl. The sheer number of connected devices in an organization could overwhelm its ability to secure each endpoint.

Challenges of managing IoT devices

• IoT security. By its very nature, IoT opens networks to a higher risk of hacking. It’s worth noting that every innovation comes with its own unique vulnerability. In this case, IoT’s inherent connectivity makes it vulnerable to hacking.
• Managing device updates. Many IoT devices require frequent updates, and older devices often need them applied manually. However, many new wireless devices now allow automatic over-the-air (OTA) updates, but even then, someone needs to confirm that updates are actually being applied across your fleet.
• Detecting vulnerabilities. As mentioned earlier, many IoT devices are not built with security in mind. This means they lack the same security features as standard computers.

Securing encryption. Many IoT devices do not encrypt communications when transferring data over a public Wi-Fi network

How to secure IoT devices

1) Use strong passwords and authentication

Changing the default credentials is the most important first step to securing your devices. However, if you change the password to something simple and easy, you haven’t done yourself much good. Instead, be sure to use unique and strong passwords for IoT devices. Avoid reusing passwords across devices, and ensure that any password storage solution you use is encrypted and secure. Additionally, consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security where possible. Never respond to MFA requests that you did not initiate.

2) Carefully manage device inventory

Device discovery and inventory will also improve your security. Knowing all connected IoT devices on the network means you can secure them (this is tricky to accomplish if you don’t have a way to identify every device you need to secure). Any unsecured device is a potential attack vector, so it’s important to use best security practices on every device connected to your network.

Although many people struggle to manage numerous IoT devices in their environments, you can stay a step ahead of attackers by using automated tools for device discovery and maintaining an inventory in a device management system. NinjaOne offers a network monitoring solution that tracks and monitors all IoT devices, as well as other networking equipment such as routers and switches.

3) Isolate IoT devices from critical systems and data

Network segmentation divides a network into smaller networks to better manage traffic or to improve security. For IoT device security, network segmentation helps isolate IoT devices from critical systems and data. Essentially, it’s insulation that keeps your information from leaking and prevents attackers from accessing all of your devices, so even if attackers infiltrate your network, they are limited to that subnet rather than allowed access to the whole.

Having subnets also gives you more control and monitoring ability. You can more easily identify who is accessing your network and isolate the new device or user. It’s a good idea to follow zero-trust protocols for network segmentation, meaning that all new devices are immediately quarantined and cannot connect to other devices until they’re reviewed. Finally, you can use your subnets to limit IoT device access to the Internet and reduce or eliminate outgoing traffic.

For best practices to elevate your security and understand the key benefits, watch our video: Network Segmentation Best Practices.

4) Regularly patch and update IoT devices

IT professionals need to recognize the role of regular patching and updates in IoT security. Like any other devices, IoT devices use software to complete their various functions, and that software needs to be regularly updated to prevent attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities. Many of the available applications are built on open-source software, which means attackers could be studying how to infiltrate your network long before they actually attempt it. So, if there are any known vulnerabilities, it’s a good idea to patch them as soon as possible, especially those labeled critical or high-risk.

Establishing an efficient patch management process for IoT devices is also important. It can be challenging to keep up with all the necessary updates for every IoT device connected to your network, so implementing a Remote Management and Monitoring (RMM) solution to streamline your efforts may be useful. RMM solutions enable you to schedule updates and patches and automatically push them to all relevant devices, reducing your workload and allowing your team to greatly improve its efficiency. It also improves the overall speed of vulnerability remediation, so you can patch more of them than you would if patching manually.

Secure your IoT environment and reduce manual effort. Watch What is IoT Device Management? to learn how to monitor, configure, and protect devices effortlessly.

5) Eliminate unused IoT devices

If you don’t use one of your IoT devices, don’t be tempted to leave it in your environment. Any device still connected but not maintained poses a potential security risk. You likely won’t be monitoring or patching a device you aren’t thinking about, which means that any attackers who attempt to access it may have a relatively easy time exploiting it. To protect your other devices, eliminate these extraneous potential attack vectors. 

6) Use centralized management

A single-pane-of-glass platform helps you easily monitor device behavior, network traffic, and data flows to detect anomalies that may indicate a breach in IoT device security. This proactive approach allows you to respond swiftly to threats and minimize potential damage.

Additionally, a unified platform enables you to implement and enforce security policies across your IoT network. By setting clear guidelines and monitoring IT compliance, you can ensure your devices adhere to industry standards and regulations. This helps to protect sensitive data and maintain a secure operating environment.

7) Leverage automation

Automated responses can significantly reduce the window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit weaknesses in connected devices. By implementing automated follow-up procedures, organizations can minimize the risk of compromise and maintain the integrity of their IoT networks.

8) Encrypt your connection

Encrypt your connection whenever possible to safeguard IoT data both in transit and at rest. Organizations can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches by encrypting data in transit between devices and back-end systems.

9) Prioritize vendor security

Vendors of IoT devices typically outline strategies to protect their products and reduce susceptibility. You can conduct extensive research to learn which vendors prioritize security in their product design and development processes. You want to ensure that the manufacturers of your chosen IoT devices have robust security measures. These security measures may include timely updates and patches to address known vulnerabilities.

10) Implement strong access controls

Take time in curating Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) by granting users only the necessary privileges to perform their tasks. This helps limit potential damages in cases of unauthorized usage. Enforcing ideal password policies, such as long, unique passwords and MFA,, can also support this strategy. Reset credentials if an end-user leaves the organization or your IT team detects a security risk.

11) Monitor and log device activities

Consistently logging IoT device activities is also a great way to maintain IoT device security within your network. Use reliable tools that can monitor and log events within your IoT network to ensure every instance, such as device interactions, network traffic, and user activity, is recorded.

12) Secure firmware updates

Make sure that you and other users install firmware updates only from trusted sources. This can help prevent malicious code injections. When installing firmware updates, you must use secure channels to transfer them to prevent interception and tampering.

13) Conduct penetration testing

Another thing you can do is conduct regular penetration testing as part of security audits. This can help identify and address potential vulnerabilities in your IoT devices and infrastructure. You can also perform penetration testing by simulating real-world attacks to identify weaknesses in your security measures. These actions can help mitigate identified vulnerabilities and minimize risks to your IoT environment.

14) Train users on best practices

Everyone who uses IoT devices within your network must know how to manage their security and protection. Awareness training on the threats to IoT networks can accelerate the development and enforcement of clear security policies for IoT device usage. Conduct regular security awareness campaigns to inform users about the latest threats and best practices.

15) Consider a security-focused IoT platform

To bolster IoT security, consider employing managed security services to delegate security tasks to specialists. Additionally, opt for IoT platforms prioritizing robust security features such as encryption, secure boot mechanisms, and intrusion detection systems. These combined approaches can significantly enhance the overall security posture of your IoT environment.

Implementing stronger IoT device security policies

There are some basic steps you can take to improve IoT device security.

Use encryption algorithms such as AES to secure data transmitted by IoT devices. Implement data protection strategies, including antivirus software, automated monitoring, data visibility solutions, and strong passwords with multi-factor authentication, to safeguard sensitive information.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) monitoring and management is a useful tool for keeping your IoT devices secure. SNMP is a protocol for collecting information and managing devices on a network to protect them against unauthorized access. However, to efficiently manage your network with SNMP, monitoring and management tools or solutions are recommended.

SNMP solutions provide a central platform for monitoring all your network-connected devices, enabling you to track traffic, access, and activity. You can also monitor hardware performance and set up custom alerts to notify you of unusual activity. Additionally, a high-quality SNMP solution like NinjaOne can also discover new devices and categorize them based on authentication credentials.

A video tutorial on How to Secure IoT Devices is available.

How NinjaOne helps you stay proactive with IoT security

Staying proactive and vigilant is imperative for strong IoT security. Any preventative measures you take will be far more valuable to your organization’s integrity and ability to overcome attacker intrusions than post-disaster recovery efforts. Implementing SNMP solutions to monitor your network and alert you to potential problems can help you stay secure, especially when part of a broader management and monitoring strategy that includes remote patching and device management.

With the NinjaOne SNMP monitoring and management solution, you can manage and track any SNMP-enabled IoT device. Start your free trial of NinjaOne to see just how quick and easy IoT device management can be. If you’re ready, request a free quote, sign up for a 14-day free trial, or watch a demo.