Sensors Expo & Conference 2019: Protecting IoT Systems From Covert Invasions

One of the dumbest expressions a human ever vocally regurgitated is, “What you don’t know, won’t hurt you.” That phrase, which is normally interpreted as, if you don’t recognize a problem, you can’t/won’t worry yourself sick about it, can equally be defined by another phrase: “ignorance is bliss”. These phrases may prove legitimate and downright useful in matters involving sports, marital affairs, and cigar smoking, but they won’t hold water in the world of cybersecurity.

The mass deployment of sensors and digital devices on our favorite entity, the Internet of Things (IoT), opens a wide and wild world of opportunities for hackers, thieves, and a plethora of evil doers. It’s an easy formula: the more devices deployed, the more opportunities for infiltration.

Unfortunately, some companies are so hard pressed to get their IoT products to market or IoT systems up and running on a tight schedule, that security is often an afterthought or, even more unfortunate, not a thought at all. Let’s rephrase those old sayings to, “what you don’t do will hurt your big time” and “ignorance kills” when your IoT systems are left unprotected.

It’s hard to believe that anyone involved with the design and/or deployment of systems for IoT applications would not keep security as a top priority from step one. Sure, it’s a constant concern, but with greater security comes greater complexity and, of course, higher costs. In terms of cost, one must weigh the costs of solid security against what a cyber invasion of the system will cost when the smoke clears. Whatever the situation or concerns, a good place to start is to get some insights from an expert; it’s not as expensive as you may think.

At Sensors Expo & Conference 2019 in San Jose, CA, on Thursday, June 27, from 2:30 pm to 3:20 pm PST, you can get a leg up on security issues in the IoT by attending the session titled, “Could Your IoT System Have Been Infiltrated Without Your Knowledge” presented by Sam Colley. This session reviews the need for security in the IoT sector and analyzes the biggest threats and their effects.

Considered an expert in the telecoms sector, Sam Colley has focused on business development within the mobile data connectivity market, specializing in the M2M and business travel sectors. A strategic thinker, his ability to identify and target growth markets that contribute directly to the geographic and financial expansion of the organization quickly led to his appointment as Business Development Manager and subsequently, Business Development Director of Podsystem Ltd.

During his time at Podsystem Ltd., he achieved a 150% increase in the gross profit of the company through the development and implementation of a global sales strategy to target key growth areas, with emphasis on the US. Additionally, his capacity to successfully lead a team to implement a local sales and marketing strategy and exceed customer satisfaction targets has led to his current position as CEO of Podsystem Inc. and Group Business Development Director 

Sam says of Sensors Expo, “I attended two years ago and spoke last year. It is a relevant show for IoT and of interest to see what is happening in that space.” About his session, he reports, “we will be discussing security in IoT and the different parts of the ecosystem that need to be considered, including what your connectivity provider could and should be offering.”

When asked what the singular most important concept he wants his attendees to walk away after the session, Mr. Colley emphasizes, “I think it is that you should never assume you are protected and always understand exactly what your suppliers are doing to ensure your application is secure.” Sam will also be visiting Sensors Expo exhibitors and taking in some of the other sessions to keep up with the latest industry trends and technologies.

Like it or not, you are going to face some serious security issues in your design and deployment work and you can’t call ghost busters when troubles brew. What can you do? That’s easily answered. Step one, register for Sensors Expo, and second, attend the IoT track sessions including Sam Colley’s presentation, “Could Your IoT System Have Been Infiltrated Without Your Knowledge”, Thursday, June 27, from 2:30 pm to 3:20 pm PST. You’re still here? ~MD