Featuring:

Jeff Pollard, Principal Analyst

Show notes:

The CIA breach caught our collective attention. It triggered old and new thoughts about spy intrigue and the cloak, dagger, and hacker world that is increasingly showing up on the front page. The geopolitical implications are most likely extensive and still to be played out. But for business and technology leaders, the rest of the story may be scarier.

The breach animated the reminder that “objects may be closer than they appear.” In this case, it’s the security risk presented by IoT devices, which companies are rolling out at an increasing pace to create new and improved customer experiences or exploit new technologies.

Whether talking about wearable fitness devices that, when hacked, can disclose daily routines and someone’s physical location or devices that advance the management of the power grid and enable self-driving cars, IoT is penetrating nearly all facets of our lives and our businesses. But these same devices that improve our lives and the ways businesses work are also vulnerable to security threats that are real, explosive, and in place now.

In this episode, Jeff warns executives against treating IoT as a remedial bolt-on or afterthought. The CIA breach taught us that the threats are too severe and the consequences too far-reaching. Security needs to be a strategic consideration in the core design of any IoT implementation; otherwise, executives are rolling the dice with their brand, reputation, and the very health of their business.