Today, the IT professional has a plethora of technology tools at his or her disposal. Each of these tools can solve complex problems; whether the focus is security, systems administration, networking, etc., the choices are endless.
Embedded devices are one of the tools that give an organization the ability to solve problems in new and exciting ways. However, embedded devices have very limited computing resources and strict power requirements, so writing the software requires much knowledge of both hardware components and programming.
Embedded devices only help run a single application and are usually completely enclosed by the object. Additionally, embedded devices may or may not be able to connect to the Internet.
Below we have outlined the benefits and vulnerabilities of embedded devices.
Benefits of Embedded Devices
Embedded Devices can provide local data management and data distribution capabilities that are safe, efficient, and secure while also being able to analyze, make decisions, and summarize data for other systems.
With the increase of the Internet of Things (IoT), embedded devices allow companies to increase their performance efficiency through aggregating and simplifying data and then delivering analytics that enable decisions to be made. More importantly, embedded devices can make data readily available whenever it is needed within a system, and via the Internet to a wider environment if need be. As the IoT continues to increase, so will the need to distribute intelligence across various platforms more efficiently, effectively, securely, and in real time.
Vulnerabilities of Embedded Devices
However, with all good things, come bad. If your embedded devices are poorly coded and have numerous weaknesses, your whole system could be disrupted or taken control. More often than not, embedded devices can be forgotten about, and the patches needed to fix vulnerabilities are put on the backburner, allowing breaches to happen more frequently. Just like any other device, embedded devices can be hacked.
To ensure that your vulnerabilities are negated, be sure to increase your firewalls and malware protection. In addition, you should regularly scan and patch your device so as to not cause an opportunity for a breach in security.
Hackers are only getting smarter, and we have people phishing, worms crawling, Trojan horses running, and polymorphic creatures self-replicating all over the Internet. We at Carson Inc. want to protect everything at the same time while also having it readily accessible. We will help you find what matters and control what counts while decreasing the chances of your embedded devices getting hacked.
Carson Inc. Combats Cyber Threats
Don’t sacrifice your security for convenience. Carson Inc. has been helping its customers fight the battle against cyber threats for more than 22 years. Our team consists of Information Assurance (IA) experts with advanced degrees and technical certifications, including CISSP, CISA, LPT, GWASP, and ISO 27001. Our staff has in-depth knowledge of IT security statutory and regulatory guidance.