Proactive Strategies to Secure IoT Development from the Ground Up

As Henry Kissinger noted, “It is not often that companies learn from the past; even rarer that they draw the correct conclusions from it.” At Link Labs, we aim to break that pattern when it comes to securing the Internet of Things (IoT). While cyber‑security risks in cloud computing, electronic payments, and mobile are widely discussed, IoT often falls behind because security is treated as an afterthought—retrofitting protection is notoriously difficult.

Notice the Google Trends chart below. The blue line tracks the overall popularity of “Internet of Things,” which reached its peak in January 2015, while the red line shows searches for “Internet of Things security.” Although the absolute volume for security remains lower, the relative rise tells a different story—security concerns are growing faster than general IoT buzz.

Companies chase a projected $19 trillion opportunity and rush to market, frequently compromising security. This mindset explains high‑profile breaches such as those at Home Depot and Target, and why many IoT devices remain vulnerable.

Plan for IoT Security Challenges Early

Fortunately, the industry can shift direction. It starts with a clear understanding of the specific security risks your IoT solution faces. One proven approach is the Risk Matrix for IoT Security—a simple tool that weighs probability against impact to surface the most critical threats first.

Source: ruleworks.co.uk

By defining a risk‑tolerance threshold, teams can prioritize resources. Risks that are highly probable and highly impactful should be addressed immediately, whereas low‑probability, medium‑impact risks may fall below the threshold. Remember, risk tolerance is independent of time‑to‑market.

Typical IoT security challenges include:

• AES‑based public/private key exchanges
• Shielding attached TCP/IP networks from intrusion through devices
• Safeguarding pre‑shared keys against reverse engineering via MCU debuggers

Begin by cataloguing all M2M security concerns, mapping them onto a risk matrix, and then prioritizing. How well can you secure the top priorities—and the rest? If you need expert guidance, reach out to a Link Labs engineer to tackle your specific IoT security hurdles.