AIOps platforms could be the answer for companies seeking secure their IoT devices connected network. Source: Shutterstock

AIOps platforms could be the answer for companies seeking secure their IoT devices connected network. Source: Shutterstock

Could AIOps be answer to enterprise IoT security woes?

INTERNET of things or IOT promises great potential across all industries.

The technology is capable of driving automation and big data analytics to unprecedented levels, which could immensely improve operational efficiency and subsequently, growth.

However, companies are rightfully cautious about adopting technology because network connected IoT devices, due to their atypical behavior relative to other connected devices, pose unique threats to enterprise networks.

IoT devices, when left unprotected, could be used by bad actors to access private networks to steal essential data and any form of compromise to network integrity could also lead irreparable damage to any business.

To make matters more complicated, traditional security tools such as network security measures, endpoint protection, mobile device management, vulnerability scanners cannot handle and secure IoT devices which have locked down operating systems.

However, the emerging AIOps ( artificial intelligence for IT operations) platforms that are developed for enterprise edge network are giving companies some sense of optimism as it could be used to identify anomalies and address device security issues.

Overcoming security challenges

Securing IoT device connected networks are not as straightforward due to plenty of reasons.

For starters, apart from the expensive smart-sensors, most IoT devices are virtually “headless” with minimal hardware capability, limited networking capability and often come fitted with proprietary operating systems that are incompatible with conventional security solutions.

Further, the devices have specific protocols with no possibility to install a software agent, which makes them difficult to track, by IT management platforms. It gets even more complicated when different networking constituents can use the devices.

Without a single source of truth, quick response, and subsequent remediation is unlikely in the event of a breach or compromise, which only stand to hurt the business.

And thus, companies wanting to deploy IoT devices need to look at the situation from a broader perspective and consider security and performance aspects of the devices as one.

Could AIOPs be the answer?

AIOps platforms are designed to deliver operational assurance, and the technology is capable of providing an in-depth look into how IoT devices behave and interact within a network, network services, and other related applications.

And these operation assurances include automatic discovery, authentification, classification of IoT devices, detection of their baseline behavior, and proactive enforcement of the network security policies should any of these devices deviate from pre-defined parameters.

Furthermore, these powerful platforms could process data from a plethora of sources across the infrastructure including raw network packets, client data, SYSLOG messages, application responses, wireless metrics and more.

Upon measuring, analyzing and correlating the data using AI and ML algorithms, the solution could provide valuable insights on data transmission trends, potential security threats, and even offer solutions to latency issues.

So, in conclusion, securing IoT device connected networks is not an easy task, but due to the value the technology brings to enterprise operations, companies could not afford to ignore it any longer.

They need to take a more holistic approach in regards to IoT security, by exploring tools that help them manage the performance of the devices as well a secure it, instead of opting for piecemeal strategy. Then, deploying AIOPs platforms could answer to their problems.