Page 70 - Cyber Defense eMagazine for September 2020

Compliance in A Connected World

By Kirsty Fisher, CFO, Titania

In 2019, Microsoft made waves at its annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, where it confirmed its
discovery of a malicious hacker group which was using common Internet of Things (IoT) devices to carry
out widespread corporate attacks. The way in? Internet connected devices including a VOIP phone, a
Wi-Fi office printer and a video decoder, with compromised devices across multiple customer locations.
But these are just a few of the numerous examples of hackers exploiting the so called ‘Internet of Things’
in recent years. Kirsty Fisher, CFO at Titania explains.

Many of these hacks could have had potentially serious consequences had they gone undetected. For
example, in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about implantable cardiac
devices, which they’d found to be at risk of attack. Used to monitor and control heart function, including
heart attacks, vulnerabilities meant hackers could control shocks, alter pacing and deplete the battery.

Tech analyst company IDC predicts that in total there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices by 2025.
With no central security standards or compliance frameworks underpinning the proliferation of IoT
devices, individuals and businesses remain exposed for the near future.

But what makes the Internet of Things and the risks associated with connected devices different from the
traditional internet? Largely, the human factor. The IoT doesn’t need people to work. It provides
technology, media and telecoms companies with the opportunity to create new products and applications,
which rely on sensors collecting, reviewing and acting on data. Popular with increasingly tech savvy

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2020 Edition 70
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