IoT Identity Protection
In this article, we shall try to understand IoT identity theft. We will go through various topics like identity protection and the problems that lead to identity theft. There are multiple ways to protect your data, and various steps are taken in IoT to avoid identity protection. So take notes, take a sip of your coffee, and read till the end of the article!
What is Identity Theft?
By now, we all know that IoT devices collect information and send it to the cloud to process and store it. But we also know that security is the biggest threat to IoT. Cybercriminals can get hold of this valuable information and expose it. It is precisely what we call identity theft.
Today, IoT is used in almost all domains — banking, security, education, medicine, consumer, industrial, military, and countless others. They are improving our quality of life by providing simpler and more reliable solutions.
But IoT, unfortunately, opens access to ways criminals could easily log into a system and steal valuable, sensitive information. This is exactly why we must take proper measures to safeguard IoT devices and the data stored in them. I have already discussed IoT security and preventive measures in another article. So, for this article, let us keep it solely to identity theft.
Even though all IoT devices contain valuable information, identification issues are critical. They must be the topmost priority in a few domains like banking, medical, CIoT, and others. We can take preventive measures like multi-factor authentication, consent forms, terms and conditions, and more to ensure that the user’s identity is not at stake.
What are the Problems that Cause Identity Theft?
Since IoT devices are interconnected and communicate with each other, it is essential to have end-to-end security. So, let us look at a few problems that play a crucial role in causing identity theft.
1. Consent
One of the significant problems of identity theft is consent. Since the companies never inform users about the data gathering system and what kind of data the devices gather, the devices may sometimes collect relevant data, leading to information processing of irrelevant data.
The main reason companies never reveal the data gathering system is because the companies get access to the user’s personal life through the devices. Like it or not, Alexa, google, Bixby, and all other IoT devices are constantly monitoring you, you won’t even believe me when I say that Google knows you better than anyone else.
2. Privacy
It may be normal to expect cameras in IoT devices. Still, it is not so normal when you realise that these devices are used to track even you to understand your preferences and behaviour so that the company can make better products to their customer’s liking.
Users and customers have regular expectations for privacy in most situations, but IoT devices cause impedance and acknowledge these rights as the “right to be left alone”.
3. Indistinguishable Data
It goes without saying that IoT has numerous real-world applications, and most uses target to support a group of people instead of just one user.
Each user can provide a set of actions, but the IoT device may not process every user’s preference. Small IoT devices in complexes cannot respond to every customer’s request.
4. Comfortable Sharing Private Data
Today, the exposure of private user information is normalised by IoT as users think it is normal to provide sensitive information to digital systems.
However, people with a lesser understanding of technology are at risk for phishing and other cyber activities because IoT makes it comfortable to share vital information about the user with fewer safety protocols.
5. Big Data
Big data is a significant risk to users and system privacy as IoT is intimate and highly scalable. So it means that it collects data from a large number of places and in large amounts, which leads to the creation of highly detailed profiles of the user, which directly exposes the user to a great deal of harm and danger.
What is Sensitive Data?
At this point, it is pretty clear that IoT devices gather and store sensitive data, but what exactly is “sensitive data”? It is pretty simple. Data like your passwords, credit card information, names, phone numbers, email addresses, bank balances, and bank pins come under sensitive information.
Our smartphones, smartwatches, and other smart devices we use contain extremely sensitive and probate information. The more connected we become, the easier it is for hackers to access sensitive information. Yup! The small little Alexa device sitting in the corner of your room knows you better than your loved ones!
If a cybercriminal hacks your devices and impersonates you, then identity theft is a huge issue in today’s modern connected world. For example, other people who know and contact you may believe that it is you and, therefore, trust you with their own personal information, not knowing that the hacker is trying to access the other individual’s sensitive and personal information.
Measures to Prevent Identity Theft
We must take preventive measures to prevent our confidential information from going to the wrong people. Let us look at some of them:
1. Keep strong, case-sensitive, and alphanumeric passwords. Moreover, make sure that each device has a different password.
2. Ensure that your records are safe, and never disclose this information to anyone online.
3. Apply for VPN personal wireless to connect personal devices securely.
4. Do not offer unauthorized access to any digital device, and always encrypt user information
5. Cryptography is one of the best authentication tools for IoT devices, as these devices can interact with cryptographic keys.
6. Before purchasing an IoT device, understand who can access your data and share only the needed information.
7. Use end-to-end encryption to ensure that your messages are private and protected.
8. Ensure that you use strong authentication and that all your devices have different pins, codes, and passwords that have strong characters that make it harder to hack your devices.
9. Read the documentation of IoT devices carefully before making a purchase. If you still have any doubts, clarify with the staff.
10. Never answer anonymous calls from individuals pretending to be from banks and life insurance companies.
Summary
As you have seen, identity theft happens when a cybercriminal hacks your devices and impersonates you. You have now learned what identity theft is, the various problems that lead to identity theft, the meaning of sensitive data, and the different measures you can take to avoid identity theft.