by Angela Guess

A recent press release reports, “Rapid7, Inc., a leading provider of security data and analytics solutions, today announced that it has expanded its strategic consulting and security testing offerings to aid organizations in securely developing and deploying non-traditional internet connected devices, often referred to as the internet of things (IoT). The new practice area will help organizations think strategically about building security practices into product development lifecycles, provide thorough assessment and testing of potential weaknesses for both hardware and software, and offer forensic analysis for devices that have been compromised. Compromised IoT devices can be used to amplify and launch crippling denial of service (DDoS) attacks against others. Recent cyber-attacks have taken advantage of IoT device weaknesses, most notably, the Mirai malware. In addition to securing IoT devices themselves, IT and security professionals are charged with defending their networks against this new threat vector.”

The release goes on, “According to Gartner’s Internet of Things Primer for 2016, ‘by 2020, over 20 billion connected things will be in use across a range of industries.’ While driving significant productivity gains for businesses and consumers, this exploding growth also creates new attack vectors for malicious attackers and presents increased risk. IoT devices not only create new opportunities for attackers to invade networks to steal information, they can also be hacked to gain access to physical spaces and assets, or even cause harm to users. As users become more dependent on the functionality of connected devices, the risk represented by loss of use or corrupted use becomes even greater.”

Read more at Globe Newswire.

Photo credit: Rapid7