The Internet of Things represents an unprecedented cybersecurity challenge. Everything is being brought online, from smart glasses and thermostats to critical infrastructure like power and water grids. We live in an era where cybersecurity is no longer just about protecting data, but about protecting people.
In an era of hyperconnectivity, effective cybersecurity requires collaboration. It requires strong partnerships, shared knowledge, and cooperation between leaders in every sector.
That’s why BlackBerry is honored to be part of the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX), Canada’s only cyber threat collaboration forum. As a member of the CCTX we are able to collaborate with some of the top minds in the security space, gathering, sharing, and analyzing cyber threat information to develop the best solutions possible.
This week I will be presenting a keynote at the third annual Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange Collaboration Event, which brings together some of the country’s best and brightest cyber professionals to discuss the current climate of cybersecurity and discuss a wide range of issues facing modern enterprisesuch as bringing consumer connected devices into the workplace.
Consider, for instance, closed-circuit television. It’s a technology that’s been around forever – and one which, in an era of connected endpoints, is growing obsolete. Businesses are replacing CCTV cameras with cheaper networked alternatives.
On the surface, this both reduces cost and increases physical security, but what happens if a business purchases a large deployment of cameras with a software bug? Suddenly, they have several thousand bricks, each of which may have to be replaced. Who is to blame for this? Is the vendor responsible for failing to establish a secure development or update cycle for their device? Moreover, what of the business in this scenario? Did it implement the right software solution to protect its network and deploy the cameras in a secure manner? Did it properly vet the cameras before it replaced its CCTV systems?
This is just one type of example of what I’ll be covering in the keynote. Specifically, I’ll highlight the various threats associated with the adoption of these IoT devices, and outline the best risk mitigation practices for businesses to follow. The presentation will evaluate the cost of implementing vulnerable devices in your enterprise, and how we can move to a governance-based model for managing that risk while maintaining innovation and creating value for the enterprise. We’ll also give our thoughts on how we see the Enterprise of Things maturing over the next several years.
We look forward to seeing you there – and hope that together, we can make our hyperconnected world that much safer.
