The Internet of Things (IoT) is on the rise, and so are the threats associated with the interconnectedness of our devices. Eighty-four percent of organizations that have adopted IoT report experiencing at least one IoT-related security breach—and 93 percent of executives expect IoT security breaches to occur in the future—according to a February 2017 Aruba Networks study.  Malware, spyware, and human error are the most common problems the study also reported.

It’s widely accepted that the number of IoT security breaches will only grow in the future. To quote a 2016 Forrester Research report: “When smart thermostats alone exceed one million devices, it’s not hard to imagine a vulnerability that can easily exceed the scale of other common web vulnerabilities, especially if multiple IoT solutions include the same open source component.”

IoT affects everyone, not just large corporations with industrial equipment. From smart thermostats to smart refrigerators, dishwashers, and washers and dryers, we’re all part of the IoT landscape and vulnerable to threats.

What are we to make of the proliferation of the IoT and how concerned should we be?

For the answers, read the white paper by Balakrishnan Dasarathy, UMUC collegiate professor and program chair for information assurance, The Graduate School.