Enterprises across the global supply chain recognise their approaches to cybersecurity must be strengthened, but are not yet taking the practical steps to safeguard their industrial Internet of Things (IoT) deployments.
This is one of the findings of a study undertaken on behalf of Inmarsat, which surveyed 750 businesses across the global supply chain.
The research revealed that two-thirds (66%) of respondents reported that their processes to combat cybersecurity threats could be stronger, and 68% said more could be done to protect against data mishandling.
However, despite recognising the enhanced security threats of Industrial IoT, just 33% have invested in new security technologies and only 29% have partnered with security specialists for assistance, indicating that not enough is being done to secure operations.
One driver for this response is a lack of relevant skills, with 56% of respondents reporting that they lacked staff with cybersecurity skills to deliver their Industrial IoT deployments.
Tara MacLachlan, vice-president for industrial IoT at Inmarsat Enterprise, comments: “While Industrial IoT presents immensely exciting possibilities for Enterprises across the global supply chain, it also increases the risk that they will face cybersecurity issues, and our research suggests that they are unprepared for these risks.
“A network is only secure as its weakest point, and with Industrial IoT increasing the potential surface area for cyberattacks, enterprises must ensure that they harden every element of their IoT deployments. Without secure Industrial IoT networks, enterprises may leave themselves open to cyberattacks designed to cripple industrial machinery, ransomware or industrial espionage.
“Truly secure Industrial IoT deployments must have security built-in from the ground up. This must include secure access management, secure execution environments, enhanced data encryption, and smart validation and authentication between sensors, gateways, and the software orchestration platform.
“As we have seen from the results of this study, not every enterprise has the skills or technology capabilities to ensure an IoT solution is secure from end-to-end. Enterprises need to collaborate with specialist providers who can offer a fully managed IoT service that considers security at every stage, from the edge sensors, to the gateways and orchestration platforms, to the connectivity and networks themselves.”