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B. Russell
10.3.3 Safeguarding Stakeholder Privacy
Privacy in IoT systems is about more than simply safeguarding Privacy Protected
Information (PPI). IoT systems can expose information about users that allow
tracking of user habits or even the locations of individuals. IoT system designers
have to consider privacy at the beginning and throughout an IoT implementation.
The best method of integrating privacy protections into a system is through the
concept of Privacy by Design (PbD). PbD incorporates strategies and activities that
protect user privacy and give users control over how their data is used. To learn
more about implementing the foundational principles of PbD, review the paper by
Ann Cavoukian, PhD: Privacy by Design – The Seven Foundational Principles [16].
There are a number of activities that must be conducted based on these PhD
principles. Organizations should prepare a Privacy Impact Assessment (PI) for each
system and routinely review privacy impacts based on updates to the system. All
data collected by a device and/or processed within a system should be documented
and categorized to identify PPI. After documenting this data collection, make an
active effort to limit the amount and types of data collected to only what is actually
needed for system operation. Establish policies and procedures that are fair to
customers as well. Notify customers regarding data collection and the expected
use of their data. Provide a mechanism for customers to opt-in or opt-out of data
collection. Also, setup a breach notification program that alerts customers to a data
breach within acceptable timelines per local and national regulations.
10.4 Securing the IoT Edge
When we visualize the “IoT,” we usually envision devices installed at the edge of
a network. These devices interact with their physical world by collecting data or
performing actions. Devices may be anywhere in the world and may be installed
in remote locations. This gives attackers the advantage of being able to physically
access their targets. The ability to introduce unexpected behavior in physical
environments makes IoT devices a prime target for attackers. Product developers
must keep in mind the need to:
• Protect from adversaries obtaining firmware and reverse engineering devices
• Protect from adversaries gaining access to a device either locally or remotely
• Design devices to be resilient – to operate even in the face of attacks
• Protect from adversaries installing malicious software or hardware into devices
(e.g., Skimmers or backdoors)
Many of the automated attacks against IoT devices have been successful because
of a small number of common weaknesses at the edge. In 2018, a team from the
Cloud Security Alliance composed of the author, Michael Roza, Aaron Guzman
B. Russell
10.3.3 Safeguarding Stakeholder Privacy
Privacy in IoT systems is about more than simply safeguarding Privacy Protected
Information (PPI). IoT systems can expose information about users that allow
tracking of user habits or even the locations of individuals. IoT system designers
have to consider privacy at the beginning and throughout an IoT implementation.
The best method of integrating privacy protections into a system is through the
concept of Privacy by Design (PbD). PbD incorporates strategies and activities that
protect user privacy and give users control over how their data is used. To learn
more about implementing the foundational principles of PbD, review the paper by
Ann Cavoukian, PhD: Privacy by Design – The Seven Foundational Principles [16].
There are a number of activities that must be conducted based on these PhD
principles. Organizations should prepare a Privacy Impact Assessment (PI) for each
system and routinely review privacy impacts based on updates to the system. All
data collected by a device and/or processed within a system should be documented
and categorized to identify PPI. After documenting this data collection, make an
active effort to limit the amount and types of data collected to only what is actually
needed for system operation. Establish policies and procedures that are fair to
customers as well. Notify customers regarding data collection and the expected
use of their data. Provide a mechanism for customers to opt-in or opt-out of data
collection. Also, setup a breach notification program that alerts customers to a data
breach within acceptable timelines per local and national regulations.
10.4 Securing the IoT Edge
When we visualize the “IoT,” we usually envision devices installed at the edge of
a network. These devices interact with their physical world by collecting data or
performing actions. Devices may be anywhere in the world and may be installed
in remote locations. This gives attackers the advantage of being able to physically
access their targets. The ability to introduce unexpected behavior in physical
environments makes IoT devices a prime target for attackers. Product developers
must keep in mind the need to:
• Protect from adversaries obtaining firmware and reverse engineering devices
• Protect from adversaries gaining access to a device either locally or remotely
• Design devices to be resilient – to operate even in the face of attacks
• Protect from adversaries installing malicious software or hardware into devices
(e.g., Skimmers or backdoors)
Many of the automated attacks against IoT devices have been successful because
of a small number of common weaknesses at the edge. In 2018, a team from the
Cloud Security Alliance composed of the author, Michael Roza, Aaron Guzman