Monday, March 19, 2018
Safe IOT Practices
To keep up in pace
with the growing world, businesses are expected to deploy modern
technology-based solutions. While this may bring some benefits, their security
is a huge responsibility. Any compromise on the safekeeping of a company’s data
is sufficient to mark its downfall.
The IOT technology builds a circuitry to
connect multiple devices that can exchange information over the internet on
request. Potential uses of this science are many. But, the use of linked
devices is luring to cybercriminals and hackers and thus requires great
caution.
What security threats does IOT pose?
Although the technology market is constantly
innovated, successful cyber-attacks have also increased. The major risks that
require consideration with the use of this technology are:
1) Insecure interfaces
- Web interface
- Network services
- Cloud interface
- Mobile interface
Data loss and corruption, both, stem from insecure interfaces. There
might also be a complete device takeover. This may lead to denial of access and
a compromise on the accountability of the entire data consolidation. All data
stored could be modified or accessed. Compromised network services can result
in a denial of service condition of devices and the user may no longer be able
to access them. Moreover, it can also be employed to facilitate attacks on
other devices.
The impact also extends to consumers whose personal data can be accessed
if the hacker is able to gain control over your devices.
2) Lack of authentication
Lack of authentication refers to weak or poorly protected credentials
and an insecure mode of their recovery. Cybercriminals can employ these to gain
easy access to all the data and steal or modify them.
3) Insufficient transport encryption
A transmission of data from one device to another is the essence of IOT.
There needs to be a secure path for this transport of information, failing in
which the attacker may be able to view user data when in transit over a local
network.
Mitigation of the threats
Global market research reports suggest that while IOT is set to transform
lives, web developers and cyber security service providers should be equipped
to mitigate the increasing threats accompanying the use of IOT.
During the initial
setup of devices, default credentials should be reset. The new ones should not
be weak and shouldn’t be exposed to internal or external traffic. Automatic
lockout should be set-up for a specific number of failed login attempts and a
two-factor authentication method can be used wherever possible.
Only necessary ports
should be exposed and transit protocols must be encrypted using TLS or SSL or
other standard techniques.
Only data that is
crucial for the functioning of the device should be collected and this should
be accessible to authorised users only. This means that there should be a
strict distinction between administrative users and the regular ones. The data
must also be protected and should have a retention limit.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Data-driven decisions to boost your business value
The advent of data science has made us
capable of revolutionizing the businessservices market. The popular concept is, however, faced with very low
understanding. The most misfortunate of interpretations is the one concerned
with the suitability of data science for various businesses.
This may be because ‘Big data’, the phrase in buzz, is quite misleading. It does not
require you to be an established firm generating huge amounts of data to be able
to incorporate data science. Even smaller companies and start-ups generate
enough information to get useful insights. The sector you work for is not a
restriction either. Nevertheless, to attain the required boost in your business
value, it is essential to know what kind of information can drive your
decisions.
The context of ‘Big Data’
What mankind usually talks about is the
availability of technology for easy access to information. But what is
undermined is the increasing rate at which the amount of information itself is
growing. In the present scenario, data
is not regarded as useless post the achievement of the purpose for which it was
collected. It, in fact, has great economic value even after that. The
consolidation of all structured and unstructured information from the various
processes of a business is what is referred to as Big data. This may be from
- Market analysis using the available databases (of companies and the government)
- Analysis of routine procedures in the business to automate them
- Scouting for staff and clients
- Customer feedback
The segment of your business it can help
To realize the importance of incorporating
data analytics into your decision-making process, it is essential to look back
at the developments in the market over the past few years. Artificial
intelligence is increasingly gaining a better knowledge of the world and
software industry has disrupted a number of traditional business models. But global market research reports also
reflect a number of interesting and promising opportunities that modernization
of the world has created.
It is, thus, a wise choice to spend on
business analysts. They are a crucial aid to your business because the data
they bring will serve not one but all your business segments.
·
Marketing research
With the right minds and
tools, big data can be used to visualize trends and patterns in the industry. A data-driven predictive analysis can help
you make well-informed decisions. Data mining techniques for companies that
hold a large amount of consumer data can also be utilized for consumer
segmentation. Big data is also an integral part of risk managing strategies.
·
Setting business goals and
formulating strategies
Once what big data means to
you is strategically defined, you can leverage the information to map practical
business goals. These may be in terms of growth of the company, an increased
market share or an expansion of clientele.
·
Re-developing your product
Big data can also be
translated to customer intelligence. Constant feedback and information about
their activities can provide actionable insights. You can modify your product
or service according to the contemporary needs.
·
Creating new revenue streams
Data monetization is a compelling new
business opportunity. Selling non-personalized trend data to other companies
functioning in your vertical might be able to generate a good amount of revenue
for you.
If used efficiently, big data can prove to
be of great value to any firm. It is important to exploit the available
technologies to reap these benefits.
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