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Spanish incumbent warns not enough consideration is being given to address security threat to Internet of Things.
Telefonica this week warned that not enough is being done to address the potential security risks posed to the Internet of Things (IoT).
In a report written in partnership with several cybersecurity experts, the Spanish incumbent noted that a lot of progress has been made with creating innovative IoT services and devices. The problem is, the development of technology and regulations to secure these services and devices has not kept pace.
"In the next few years our lives will be surrounded by devices connected to the Internet that will digitalise every step we take, convert our daily activities into information, distribute any interaction throughout the network and interact with us according to this information," said Chema Alonso, CEO of Telefonica’s cyber security unit ElevenPaths, on Thursday.
Indeed, according to Machina Research, 27 billion connected devices are expected to have been deployed worldwide by 2024.
"If we are not careful we could be sleepwalking into a lot of problems," warned John Moore, director of the Internet of Things Security Foundation, in Telefonica’s report.
The report called for the creation of common security standards to ensure compatibility between devices and platforms made by different companies. It also recommended ongoing dialogue so that knowledge about emerging threats and how to counter them is shared.
"Let’s understand the problem before it’s too late, and guarantee we are able to offer a complete protection plan," Alonso said.
