GRAND RAPIDS ? The Internet of Things, where it seems everything from wearable computers to ovens are connected to the Internet, ushers in a new ease-of-use era that also poses serious cyber security threats, warned Michigan Chief Security Officer Dan Lohrmann Thursday at the Michigan InfraGard Great Lakes Regional Conference at Davenport College.
Lohrmann was the luncheon keynote during a day-long event that featured some of the top cyber professionals in the state today who provided both the up side and the down side to our digitally connected society.
Lohrmann provided his own lists of risks and rewards:
Looking into the near-term future, he said three key technologies are quickly emerging:
Flexible circuits ? smaller than a human hair, can embed medical technology onto the skin surface to monitor many conditions.
Identity authentication ? internal physical devices which proves to outside devices that you are who you say you are.
Retinal implants ? glasses transmit images to retinal sensors to restore limited vision loss.
And with them, key challenges that include:
Everything has an IP address (clothes, cars, medical devices, glasses, ovens, etc.)
Constant surveillance ? define privacy in an open society
Redefining personal identifiers and identity management
More at stake with hacking than data and intellectual property ? your reputation, health and safety will be at risk
Lohrmann provided five key trends to remember:
Technology evolution is accelerating exponentially
Security needs to enable – not disable ? business innovation
Seek to be trusted advisors who can help your enterprise traverse a complex, ever-changing cybersecurity environment
Start with PEOPLE ? follow with process and technology
Think globally ? act locally
He warned cyber security professionals can?t do everything alone to protect their businesses and their homes. He suggested they partner with the Department of Homeland Security, Michigan InfraGard, Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center, and the Michigan Intelligence Operations Center.
He suggested picking some low-hanging cyber fruit, such as establishing an e-mail account ([email protected]) for users to report suspicious activity; Making security an enabler; and sending out a monthly newsletter to employees providing tips, guidelines and reminders.
If you?re having difficulty finding money for your cyber security project, do what the state of Michigan does, follow the money. Lohrmann said the state often participates in pilot projects funded by DHS, for example. He also suggested his fellow CISOs look for already funded projects inside the corporation that could use a cyber security touch. That?s about everything these days, he said.
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