Security concerns continue to be problematic for promising Internet of Things (IoT) industry
Blair said that security should not be an afterthought in the development of IoT equipment and solutions.
“For us, it’s just one of those things that has to be part of the heritage of your products and not something that becomes a hobby or that last-minute checkpoint,” Blair said. “It can’t be, ‘Hey, I’ve got a great product. Does it pass security? You really have to start with security at the basis of what you’re doing.”
Both Blair and Horn called on industry to establish security standards and certification processes, as opposed to waiting for government entities to pass laws that could inhibit innovation and industry growth.
Historically, IoT device makers have focused their efforts on functionality innovation as opposed to security, which has been perceived as not providing a return on investment (RoI). Horn said this philosophy has to change, if the IoT industry wants to gain the trust of user communities.
“I see not investing in security as the ultimate RoI, because the public has a one-strike policy right now—you don’t get a second and third chances, if you screw this up,” Horn said. “It’s absolutely critical that we get it right the first time.
“We have attacks on cars through their satellite radios taking over the systems in the cars one or two years ago. What if someone finds an entrance into everybody’s car when they’re autonomous. Now, you have an opportunity to just wreak absolutely total havoc. So, there’s got to be multiple layers of security in any one of these systems. Because, if there’s not, we’re going to see some pretty catastrophic issues.”