IoT devices
IoT (Internet of Things) devices or, more generally, systems with embedded logic, have forcefully become part of everyday life: smart plugs, intelligent thermostats, lights connected to home automation systems; smart watches, wi-fi scales, wearable objects also used to monitor health. But the IoT world does not stop at the smart home. In the medical field we find biomedical devices connected to the network in hospitals; advanced network management systems of utilities at the smart city level. This of course in addition to the aforementioned industry 4.0, in which embedded or connected devices are a consolidated reality.
The reason why IoT Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Test are particularly useful is that IoT devices are relatively new objects and, like any object connected to a telecommunication network, potentially subject to security problems.
These problems can sometimes be caused by the inexperience of those who design or install them, but they can also derive from a relative inexperience in adopting and inserting them into the corporate context. Either way, security flaws resulting from design or implementation can have major consequences for organizations, businesses, homes, and people.
IoT Security Assessment and Penetration Test
The use of IoT devices represents a very current issue, especially in the production sector, where the push towards industry 4.0 is encouraging the increasingly widespread use of interconnected devices. In particular areas, reference is made to IIoT, or the Industrial Internet of Things. Security, if already relevant for conventional devices, becomes crucial for more complex machines or those capable of processing sensitive data. IoT-specific security analysis and penetration testing are key tools for identifying vulnerabilities, preventing attacks and data leaks resulting from the use of these devices.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has connected billions of devices to the internet, all streaming information that is mined from data for analysis. While the power of information is immense, the rush to market often outweighs the need for security.
IoT is a rapidly growing industry with thousands of new devices being released every month. With such a rush to market, security is often an afterthought, leading to exploitable vulnerabilities that put user data and organizational infrastructure at risk. Securing IoT devices and their supporting infrastructure must take an integrated rather than an integrated approach.
Safecore will evaluate IoT devices to identify all attack surfaces. We then attempt to breach the device's data, compromise its operating system, and ultimately intercept its communications.
How IoT Penetration Test and Vulnerability Assessment work
In most cases, IoT devices exploit protocols, systems and technologies already consolidated in other contexts in an innovative way (for example Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, web servers, VPNs and so on). For this reason the experts of Safecore, thanks to their experience in security, both at the hardware and application level, have been able to put their skills at the service of IoT security.
By integrating their knowledge with those specific to the world of connected devices, the specialists of Safecore they are able to analyze and verify the potential weaknesses of the entire IoT ecosystem, therefore the device and everything with which it interacts (cloud, control mobile app, IoT gateway, etc.).
This type of analysis is particularly effective, especially if it is contextualized within a vulnerability assessment and penetration test of the entire IT infrastructure.
How IoT Penetration Test and Vulnerability Assessment take place
Safecore conducts penetration testing and vulnerability assessments focused on IoT devices and embedded systems, following a tripartite approach. This method ensures high-quality IoT security analysis.
Below are the three levels of verification:
This verification involves reverse engineering the firmware and identifying vulnerabilities. It focuses primarily on the use of insecure functions or other recognized patterns, as well as attack techniques known at the time of the analysis.
This verification phase interacts with the device in real time and at the network level, conducting analyzes on available services and communication protocols, also using fuzzing techniques.
The collection and analysis of the network traffic produced or received by the device is carried out in order to acquire a detailed understanding of its interactions with other entities.
Areas of interest and final report
IoT is a rapidly growing industry with thousands of new devices being released every month. With such a rush to market, security is often an afterthought, leading to exploitable vulnerabilities that put user data and organizational infrastructure at risk. Securing IoT devices and their supporting infrastructure must take an integrated rather than an integrated approach. Safecore will evaluate IoT devices to identify all attack surfaces. We then attempt to breach the device's data, compromise its operating system, and ultimately intercept its communications.
AREAS OF INTEREST
- Firmware
- Data encryption
- Physical and logical management interfaces
- Data transmission security
- Embedded operating system security configurations
- Third party dependencies and integration
- Update mechanisms
FINAL REPORT
- Executive summary outlining the current IoT security posture.
- Technical report detailing the access obtained, the tools and methods used.
- Overview of exploitation scenarios.
- Evaluation artifacts including captured communications, downloaded firmware, and configuration files
Periodic IoT security
This method provides a comprehensive overview of existing vulnerabilities and helps distinguish false positives. It is important to remember that, as with any type of security analysis, to maintain the effectiveness of the controls it is recommended to regularly carry out checks on the health of the infrastructure. These should be scheduled periodically, during updates, changes in the infrastructure, or other modifications that could introduce new vulnerabilities, also affecting the interaction with IoT devices already present and previously tested individually.
Who can benefit?
Penetration testing and vulnerability assessments for IoT are essential for organizations deploying IoT devices in various industries, such as home automation, smart cities, wearables, trackers, or medical IT. They are particularly crucial for companies that produce these devices, as they allow you to identify weak points and define corrective actions during the development and implementation phases.
By taking this approach, companies are able to bring secure and reliable devices to market, an increasingly crucial factor for security-conscious customers in the IoT sector.
