Cybersecurity

IoT Security Threats Are Not Taken Seriously by Companies

A new wave of cyberattacks is expected to hit global energy sectors, and the US Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently issued a report warning the energy and other sectors of risks of targeted advanced persistent threats. However, energy companies decline to protect their IoT systems.

A majority of energy companies are turning to the Internet of Things (IoT) to operate with greater efficiency and transparency. However, more than half of these companies report that employees lack the security skills needed for combatting the security risks inherent to IoT, according to a new report from Inmarsat Enterprise.

The report surveyed senior IT decision makers from 100 large energy companies across the globe. About two-thirds (67%) of these companies identified a need to make “heavy investments” to meet physical and digital IoT security requirements. And 54% said that they need additional security skills to deploy successful IoT projects.

According to techrepublic.com, security is not on the mind of many IT decision makers in the energy sector: Only 30% reported that they had given special consideration to network security as part of the development of IoT solutions, the report found. And just 38% said they have taken additional steps to protect against cyberattacks.