Not all routers, printers or other smart devices are secure, many of them can put the entire IT infrastructure at risk

Bad Homburg, July 9, 2021 – Caution should be exercised when procuring IoT devices – so called “smart” devices that are integrated into an IT network. In random samples, more than 50 percent of the devices tested showed obvious vulnerabilities that would allow hackers to attack an entire IT infrastructure. “Companies are incorporating an unpredictable black box into their premises with printers, routers, security cameras or smart lighting solutions. Hackers are well aware of the vulnerabilities and can easily gain access to sensitive information. Therefore, when purchasing these devices, it is important to ensure that security specifications are in place and that they are tested,” says Florian Lukavsky, founder of IoT Inspector. The company operates one of the largest platforms for checking factory-installed device software, known as firmware, for security vulnerabilities. Often, these potential problems are hidden in supplier products: On average, each device contains software components from more than 10 different manufacturers, so-called OEM. The security experts at IoT Inspector provide a guideline through a checklist:

Checklist for the secure procurement of IoT devices.
To achieve adequate basic protection of the IoT infrastructure within the company, we recommend the following measures:

For in-depth information on the secure procurement of IoT devices, check out our whitepaper.