Column - Training for IoT Security

The Internet of Things is bringing about an entirely new generation of connectivity and connection, but how secure is all that connectivity? We see glimpses of it every night on the news of hacks and leaks. Someone with a smartphone has captured amateur video of some tragic event, or embarrassing celebrity situation. A politician’s cellphone gets hacked and political secrets are released, or a movie star’s racy photos are uploaded to the internet. As the Internet of Things (IoT) penetrates nearly every aspect of our work, and personal lives, it stands to reason that security and vulnerability become extremely important topics to consider for all of us when thinking about how we connect to the Internet of Things.

With every network that an individual connects to there has to be an infrastructure with switches, and nodes, and gateways. As I consider all those components I eventually consider the inspiration for this article which comes from the building that I am currently working in. It was recently renovated and is continually having the existing HVAC system and elevator upgraded. It is providing some minor inconveniences for clients as it is constantly being worked on, but it did give me a chance to observe a new wireless Point of Sale System being installed for a coffee barista in the lobby. I watched as the technician was trying to install the wireless POS System and having extreme difficulties connecting to the network inside the building. The technician was telling the staff of the coffee bar that he would have to escalate the issue of not being able to connect to a senior technician to solve the issue because he did not have enough training to deal with the network security issues.

He started talking about security threats to the network such as mac spoofing (identity theft), network injection, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Now I am the first to admit that I had to go and look two of those up, but the entire conversation downstairs at the coffee bar got me thinking about how secure I felt connecting to the building’s wireless network. Was the network secure? It was an older building with a retrofitted network, and just how secure was that network? If the technician downstairs did not have the training to solve the point of sale system problem, then who did?

Those are all good questions that really got me thinking about the kinds of people who will be looking after networks and the security of those networks. We know that IoT increases the connectedness of people on a mind-blowing scale and provides a level of interconnectivity with machines via personal devices. Mobile workforces are continuing to bring their devices into corporations, and sites, where they access employer provided networks to use online tools like CRMs, ERPs, and BMS systems to access information and complete projects. The question remains as to how companies are going to keep their networks protected while providing an increase in bandwidth to support more and more devices on the network?

[an error occurred while processing this directive] That job is going to fall to network administrators and engineers, and those individuals are going to require more specialized skills and training as networks continue to shift into the cloud. These individuals are going to be key players in how IoT integrates into existing systems or how IoT platforms are established in new networks.

When someone mentions security to me I instantly think of Cisco and Cisco training. Cisco has continually proven itself as one of the largest providers of network technology on the planet, and it makes sense that they would be on the forefront of IoT training.

Cisco has a collection of courses for anyone looking to get into the IT field, or stay competitive and seize the new opportunities offered by the adoption of IoT. Check out the Internet of Things certifications offered by Cisco here.

For anyone looking for more in-depth instruction in Cisco’s networking technology, or enrolling in training to prepare for careers in IoT environment check out ctc TrainCanada’s Cisco course offerings.

The Internet of Things is going to change the way we live, work and play. Seize the opportunities that it creates with a new career powered by Cisco training.

Editor's Notes: The following came from discussions with Mark Petock, Lynxspring.

We have entered a new turning point and are experiencing another monumental shift as the Internet of Things (IoT) increases its influence on our buildings. Security is still so often an afterthought. As we move forward with IoT, we must have the technologies, policies, skills, training and education that help businesses better manage our ever expanding connect world of intelligent systems and devices, knowing that they are critical in the way we manage and operate them. As modern cyber threats have reared their ugly head, it requires additional training and skills. We are seeing more and more opportunities available to gain this this training from companies as well as our colleges, universities and trade schools.

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