Smart technology is becoming increasingly common in the workplace.

Your office might have a smart TV in the meeting room, wireless printers, security cameras, door-entry systems, smart speakers, thermostats or other devices connected to the internet.

They’re convenient – and most of the time we barely think about them.

But every device connected to your network is another piece of technology that needs to be considered when you’re looking at your business IT security.

For a small business, that doesn’t mean you need complicated enterprise-level cybersecurity. It does mean you should know what’s connected, keep it updated and make sure one poorly secured device can’t put the rest of your business at unnecessary risk.

Here’s what we’d recommend.

First Things First: What is IoT?

 

IoT stands for the Internet of Things.

It’s a catch-all term for physical devices that connect to a network or the internet and can send or receive information.

In an office, that could include:

• • Security cameras

• • Smart TVs and meeting-room equipment

• • Wireless printers

• • Door-entry and access-control systems

• • Smart thermostats

• • Speakers

• • Sensors

• • VoIP phones

• • Building-management equipment

• • Even connected coffee machines

Individually, these devices might not seem particularly important.

The problem is that they’re still computers of one kind or another – and they’re connected to your network.

That means they need managing too.

 

1. Know What’s Connected to Your Network

 

Begin with all of your network’s smart devices, such as cameras, speakers, printers, and thermostats. If you are not You can’t properly secure something if you don’t know it’s there.

Over time, businesses accumulate technology. Somebody installs a new printer. A smart TV appears in the meeting room. A camera system gets added. An employee connects something to the Wi-Fi.

Before long, there can be considerably more connected to the business network than anybody realises.

Start by creating a simple inventory.

Record:

• • What the device is

• • Where it is

• • Who is responsible for it

• • Its manufacturer and model

• • Whether it still receives security updates

• • Why it needs access to your network

For a small office, this doesn’t need to be an enormous spreadsheet.

The important thing is having visibility.

 

2. Change Default Passwords

 

Most This sounds incredibly basic, but it’s important.

Some network-connected equipment arrives with default usernames and passwords or asks you to create credentials during setup.

Don’t leave devices using manufacturer defaults or easily guessed passwords.

Use a strong, unique password and store it securely using an appropriate password manager or your company’s approved system.

That applies particularly to devices such as routers, cameras and network equipment where administrator access can provide significant control.

And don’t stick the password on the bottom of the device for everybody to see!

 

3. Don’t Put Everything on the Same Network

 

Your meeting-room TV doesn’t necessarily need access to the same parts of your network as your computers and business-critical systems.

This is where network segmentation can help.

It sounds complicated, but the principle is straightforward: separate different types of devices so they don’t all have unrestricted access to one another.

For example, you might have separate network access for:

• • Business computers and laptops

• • Guest Wi-Fi

• • Smart/IoT devices

• • Servers or other important infrastructure

If one smart device is compromised, segmentation can help limit what an attacker could potentially reach from it.

The exact setup depends on your network equipment and business requirements, so this is one area where it’s worth asking your IT provider for advice rather than changing network settings at random.

 

4. Keep Devices Updated

 

Security flaws are found all the time, and updates fix them. If your devices are out of date, you’re wide open to cyberattacks.Your Windows PCs aren’t the only things that need security updates.

Smart devices run software too – usually referred to as firmware – and manufacturers release updates to fix problems and security vulnerabilities.

Check whether devices can update automatically. If they can’t, somebody needs to be responsible for checking them periodically.

More importantly, find out whether the manufacturer still supports the device.

An eight-year-old security camera might still work perfectly well, but if its manufacturer stopped providing security updates years ago, keeping it connected to your business network may no longer be a sensible idea.

“Still works” doesn’t necessarily mean “still secure.”

 

5. Be Careful With Old Technology

 

This is particularly relevant to small businesses because we’re understandably keen to get as much life as possible from our equipment.

There’s nothing wrong with that – provided the equipment remains supported.

The problem comes when manufacturers stop issuing security updates.

Once that happens, newly discovered vulnerabilities may remain permanently unfixed.

If you’ve got an old printer, camera, router, access-control system or other network-connected device that’s been quietly doing its job for years, it’s worth checking whether it’s still supported.

Sometimes replacement isn’t about getting new features.

It’s about continuing to receive security fixes.

 

6. Turn Off Features You Don’t Need

 

Incidents Modern smart devices can come with an impressive number of features.

Remote administration, cloud access, Bluetooth, file sharing, mobile apps, voice controls – the list goes on.

But does your business actually need all of them?

If a feature isn’t required, consider disabling it.

The same principle applies to internet access. Not every device necessarily needs unrestricted access to the internet just because it can connect to it.

Reducing unnecessary features and connections can reduce the number of things that could potentially go wrong.

 

7. Think Before Connecting New Devices

 

Here’s a scenario that’s easy to imagine.

Someone buys a useful gadget for the office, plugs it in and connects it to the company Wi-Fi.

Nobody thinks much more about it.

That’s how unmanaged devices gradually creep onto business networks.

You don’t need a complicated approval committee every time somebody wants a new piece of technology. But it is sensible to establish one simple rule:

Check with whoever manages your IT before connecting a new smart device to the business network.

Ask a few basic questions:

Does it actually need Wi-Fi?

What information does it collect?

Does it send information to a cloud service?

Who manufactures it?

Does it receive security updates?

Does it need access to other business systems?

Five minutes spent asking those questions can prevent problems later.till get the job done.

 

8. Consider What Data the Device Collects

 

It’s eSome smart devices do more than simply connect to the internet.

Security cameras record video. Smart speakers may contain microphones. Door-entry systems can record who enters a building and when. Other devices may collect usage or location information.

Businesses should understand what information is being collected, where it’s stored and who has access to it.

That isn’t purely an IT issue either.

If a device processes information relating to customers, employees or visitors, there may also be data-protection and privacy considerations.

Before installing something, understand what it’s actually doing with the information it collects.

 

9. Don’t Forget Your Router and Wi-Fi

 

Your smart devices ultimately rely on your network.

That makes the router, firewall, switches and wireless access points behind them particularly important.

For a small business, we’d recommend making sure:

• • Network equipment is supported and receiving updates

• • Default administrator passwords have been changed

• • Wi-Fi uses appropriate security

• • Guest access is separated from the main business network

• • Unnecessary remote-management features are disabled

• • Firewall settings are properly configured

If nobody has reviewed your business network since it was installed several years ago, it’s probably worth having it checked.

 

10. Monitor What’s Happening

 

A well-managed business network should make it possible to identify unusual activity.

For example, why is a meeting-room device suddenly communicating with somewhere it never normally contacts?

Why has an unfamiliar device appeared on the network?

Why is a security camera generating an unusual amount of traffic?

Most small-business owners aren’t going to spend their evenings examining network logs – and we wouldn’t expect them to.

This is where properly managed IT and security tools can help.

Your IT provider can help monitor devices, identify unusual behaviour and make sure problems are investigated rather than relying on somebody noticing something looks wrong.

 

11. Have a Plan for When Something Goes Wrong

 

What happens if you suspect a connected device has been compromised?

Who’s responsible for dealing with it?

Can it quickly be disconnected from the network?

Do you know which other systems it could have communicated with?

A basic incident-response plan can make a significant difference.

It doesn’t need to be a 50-page document.

For a small business, it can start with something as simple as:

Stop – Disconnect – Report.

If something doesn’t look right, stop using it, disconnect it if appropriate and contact whoever manages your IT.

Smart Doesn’t Have to Mean Risky

Connected technology can make businesses more efficient, convenient and productive.

The answer isn’t to avoid smart devices.

It’s to manage them properly.

For most small businesses, good IoT security comes back to the same fundamentals we recommend across business IT:

Know what you’ve got. Keep it updated. Use strong passwords. Limit access. Replace unsupported equipment. And make sure somebody is responsible for looking after it.

Those basics can prevent a useful smart device from becoming an unnecessary weak point in your business network.

Not Sure What’s Connected to Your Business Network?

 

It’s surprisingly common for small businesses to have printers, cameras, TVs, access-control equipment and other devices connected to their network without anybody having a complete picture of what’s actually there.

That’s something we can help with.

We provide friendly, practical IT support for businesses across the East Midlands, helping businesses understand their technology, keep it secure and make sure it’s working for them rather than creating unnecessary risk.

If you’d like us to take a look at your business network and help identify any potential weak spots, get in touch with the Ace IT team for a chat.

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.