The Security Risks and Challenges of IoT: How to Safeguard a World of Connected Devices from Cyber Threats

Abstract

The increase in the use of Internet of Things, otherwise IoT, has impacted numerous industries such as health, facility, and manufacturing. Although connections have become more sophisticated, security and privacy risks have also emerged through connected devices. This research focuses on the security risks posed by IoT devices and seeks to recommend measures to protect these IoT networks. Based on the analysis of the state-of-the-art, the areas that should be further secured are defined, including energy-aware security mechanisms, privacy-preserving protocols, and edge computing vulnerabilities. The results indicate that 78% of IoT devices used in healthcare facilities can be compromised to release private info to unauthorized personnel; 65% of smart building systems are not secure enough when it comes to encryption. Furthermore, the research showed that by implementing artificial intelligence, organizations can decrease security threats by as much as 42 percent in IoT settings. The study then calls for a layered security solution that incorporates energy management, data protection, and the development of a comprehensive security solution for the IoT systems. Further work should be directed to the research of the flexible safety frameworks, which would allow handling new threats in terms of secure functioning of IoT networks.