Casino Hacked by Fish-Tank: The Dangers of the Internet of Things
Internet of Things Driving Need for More Cybersecurity Professionals
At a recent event in London, it was reported by The Hacker News that Nicole Eagan, the CEO of cybersecurity company Darktrace, shared a story about an unnamed casino that was hacked through an internet-connected aquarium thermometer sitting in the lobby. What does that have to do with you? Plenty. That aquarium thermometer is no different from the thermostat in your home that you control through your smartphone.
It’s just one example of the growing Internet of Things (IoT). Think about it. Siri, Alexa, door locks, security systems, and lights… the list goes on and on. Each can be remotely controlled and each could potentially provide cybercriminals a foothold into your personal or professional computer system. Well-informed people and organizations take the necessary precautions, but many do not.
“IoT devices should be behind a firewall and must also be on a segmented network so that it does not appear on the main network with everything else,” says Dr. Keith Morneau, ECPI University Dean of Computer and Information Science. “Also, if possible, encrypt the data traffic coming from the IoT device. Sometimes, IoT devices have user ID and passwords and those need to be changed to something more secure.
“Unfortunately, most IoT have limited ram and so they are hard to fully secure if it is not built into the firmware from the beginning. Keeping the firmware up to date is important. If the IoT device has an operating system on it, then it needs to be patched often along with removing the administrator account and password defaults.”
If you think that sounds like a job for a professional, you are right. The problem is, there are not enough cyber and network security professionals to go around. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.
That means, now is a very good time to become cybersecurity professional. So, why aren’t more people doing this? For one reason, some very smart people seem to think this technically oriented career is beyond their abilities, that they lack the aptitude. Well, maybe it’s not them. Maybe it’s the way they’ve been taught their entire lives.
Many people are tactile learners, which means they learn best by doing things. Unfortunately, most schools use lecture-based learning to teach. Since 1966, ECPI University has been helping the doers of the world get the kind of education that works best for them. Our Cyber and Network Security degree programs can teach you how to:
- Administer, manage, and troubleshoot hardware and software
- Use cyber security measures to protect data
- Conduct vulnerability analysis/penetration testing of organizations
- Actively monitor and defend networks
- Create basic security policy and procedures
Best of all, you don’t have to spend four years in college to begin your new career. Through ECPI University’s year-round, accelerated schedule, you can earn your Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer and Information Science with a Cyber and Network Security major in as little as 2.5 years or an Associate’s degree in just 1.5 years. With campuses in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, plus an online program, ECPI University is within reach of just about anyone.
Want to learn more about ECPI University's robust cyber security programs? Take a moment and connect with one of our helpful admissions advisors. They’ll be happy to discuss your options with you.
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Gainful Employment Information – Cyber and Network Security - Bachelor’s
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