Webroot Turns To The Cloud For IoT Security Kit

The Internet of Things (IoT) may have just got a little bit safer thanks to the release of a new software development kit from security experts Webroot.

The Webroot IoT Security Kit offers developers the tools to create and disseminate security provisions for the increasingly connected world, and dials into always-updating cloud knowledge to stay on top of the latest threats.

This knowledge comes via the company’s BrightCloud platform, which actively scans the entire internet multiple times a day to detect and classify all types of online threats, providing continuously updated threat intelligence.

Protected

The kit is made up of three distinct parts: Agents, Threat Intelligence Services, and Secure Web Gateways, each looking to cover a distinct area of risk for the IoT.

Agents are active on the IoT device level, and work by checking local file systems for new entries and altered files. The Threat Intelligence Services work on IoT gateways, a level above the devices, and can be used to prevent inbound attacks from reaching the user’s devices, but can also be used to prevent data exfiltration in case of successful attacks.

Finally, the Secure Web Gateways component is a cloud-level service, which can be employed for monitoring and filtering traffic between devices and control centres, but also for intercepting malware before reaching the previous two levels.

Webroot says that any class of next-generation device, gateway, server, or network element can be monitored and protected using the new toolkit, which is open and available to download now.

“As the world begins to unlock the potential of IoT devices and platforms, cybercriminals are deploying more advanced attacks to hijack critical applications inside edge devices,” said John Sirianni, Webroot’s VP of IoT strategic partnerships.

“Because the Webroot IoT Security Toolkit leverages real-time threat intelligence to protect deployed systems against cyberattacks, solution designers and integrators can meet the mandatory requirements for security and safety systems by ensuring that critical devices and systems operate as expected. Together with our strategic partners, we are playing a critical role in developing and deploying devices and systems that are defended against the zero-day and advanced persistent threats of today and tomorrow.”

Estimates from analyst firm Gartner predict that there will be 4.9 billion ‘things’ connected to the Internet by the end of this year, a figure which will continue growing to hit 25 billion by 2020, leading many companies to warn about the potential security issues that the IoT will pose to the world around us.

Recently, a report from analyst firm IDC has predicted that 90 percent of all IT networks will have an IoT-based security breach within the next two years, although many will be considered “inconveniences” as they target non-crucial parts of the business.

This rise in attacks will see many chief information security officers (CISOs) forced to adopt new IoT policies to ensure their employees and their business remain secure when using a range of devices, the firm said.

What do you know about the Internet of Things? Take our quiz!