Security for Open Source IoT Operating Systems

Several operating systems for devices utilizing the Internet of Things include an open-source license, but great care should be taken to properly shield the attack surface. An ESG survey revealed that 38% of storage decision makers believe that in the next two years, IoT workloads will increase on-premises storage expenses. 33% of them envisage an increase in cloud expenses.

The predicted course of events is proof that the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a major a C- level concern in the context of data security and cybersecurity protection. According to a Forrester report, about 37% of cybersecurity decision makers predict that the biggest functional issues will spring up from embedded IoT systems.

It is therefore important for organizations to utilize open-source environments such as Linux properly, while evading common security mistakes that could result in a data security breach. The operating environment acts a major instrument in the utilization of IoT workloads therefore, data increase from these workloads ought to be properly managed, but how IT vendors manage this increase will be determined by system integration.

Open source Linux systems have been known to be vulnerable to several cybersecurity threats. While the type of the threat varies over time, the motivation for hackers is relatively stronger now that connected devices are commonplace, providing a much larger attack surface.

The worldwide installed base of IoT systems is estimated to get to 46 billion by the end of this year, this will certainly lead to a corresponding increase in attack surface. There are quite a number of devices for each network, this supplies economies of scale to the worth of stolen cyber goods because it takes considerable amount of time to breach all nodes in a standard IoT network, versatile hackers using botnets might experience an opportunity cost

The dangers of IoT increases with its use. One notable incident was reported in tech media, when one of the internet-connected fish tanks in a U.S. casino chain experienced a data breach. The probability of breaches with extremely damaging effects will increase as a flood of data is expected from more advanced IoT data sources, such as high-risk security footage and artificial intelligence.

Outside the IoT ecosystem, there are many scenarios of large organizations experiencing a damage to their reputation. The dangers include attacked systems becoming part of a botnet resulting in the loss of data.       

Emerging technologies could be utilized in navigating new methods of securing data for open source IoT systems. Blockchain technology, for instance, is regarded as a very effective method of encryption, as it decentralizes authorization across several nodes, this is commonly known as a digital ledger. IoT-enabled blockchain products such as Maru can be installed on endpoints to enhance interoperability, security, and identity management.

Although blockchain might not be an all-encompassing solution for open source IoT cybersecurity, organizations can rely on it as an effective alternative technology for securing IoT systems as opposed to working with players that focus on one single operating system.

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