The use of blockchain-based technology to protect data, devices and services Internet of Things (IoT) doubled last year, revealed a Gemalto report.
According to the company The state of IoT security report, published Tuesday, blockchain has emerged as a potential aid for the IoT security dilemma, with the adoption of technology increasing from nine to 19 percent in 12 months.
In the survey of 950 IT and business managers around the world, Gemalto learned that 23% of respondents believe that blockchain technology would be the ideal solution to use to protect IoT devices, with 91% of organizations that do not currently implement the technology will probably consider it in the future.
"Because blockchain technology finds its place in protecting IoT devices, companies continue to use other methods to protect themselves from cybercriminals," the report said.
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73% of respondents from the Middle East said they wanted to explore the use of blockchain to protect the IoT. 68% of respondents in India agree, and 56% of US respondents share the same sentiment.
"With a significant percentage that has not yet adopted or considered blockchain, organizations could seriously risk and open up to violations," the report said.
Only 3% of total respondents do not want blockchain anywhere near the IoT.
Twenty-nine percent of Gemalto respondents said they used biometrics to protect IoT, with 40 percent eventually wanting to do the same.
71% of respondents said that their organization encrypts their IoT data, while password protection is adopted by 66% and two-factor authentication of 38%.
However, 48% of companies said they could not detect if their IoT devices were violated.
"IoT security spending seems to have increased slightly, yet many organizations are not yet encrypting all their data, which could mean they are prioritizing their security spending in other areas," Gemalto wrote.
Meanwhile, 54 IoT device manufacturers and IoT software service providers said they increased their IoT security offerings for customers in the last year.
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Discussing the absorption of the blockchain, Gemalto indicated that technology is useful pending regulation.
Gemalto found that companies are asking governments to intervene, with 79% of respondents asking for more robust guidelines on IoT security. 59 percent also want a clarification on who is responsible for object protection, with 95 percent believing that there should be regulations in place.
"Without the coherent regulation that drives the industry, it is not surprising that threats – and, in turn, business vulnerability – are on the rise," the report said. "This will only continue if governments do not intervene now to help industry avoid losing control".
Respondents, Gemalto said, are primarily concerned with determining who is responsible for data protection at every stage of the IoT. 59 percent of the respondents also want clarity on the methods that should be used to protect the IoT, with 53 percent wanting transparency regarding what the implications for non-compliance are.
50% of Gemalto respondents said that their organization uses IoT devices created by third parties and 33% use internally created IoT devices.
Regarding the challenges of protecting IoT products, the report states that the most likely challenges that respondents will report are related to ensuring data privacy and collecting large amounts of data.
31% said that balancing the user experience with security is a challenge, with 30% stating that ensuring software updates is safe.
Thales by eliminating regulatory obstacles to acquire Gemalto
The aerospace giant Thales has recently received approval from the Australian Competition and Consumption Commission (ACCC) and the Mexican Competition Authority (Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica) to acquire Gemalto.
Together with the antitrust licenses obtained in China, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Turkey and the European Union, and the liquidations relating to foreign investments in Australia, Canada and the United States, the pair of companies has now obtained 11 of the requests. l & # 39; acquisition.
"Thales and Gemalto continue to work constructively with the relevant antitrust authorities to obtain the remaining merger control checks in Russia and the United States," said Thales. "Furthermore, Thales and Gemalto ask for the Regulatory Settlement relating to foreign investments from the competent authority in Russia."
The purchase was announced in March last year, with Gemalto being offered € 51.00 per share according to the terms of the transaction.
The acquisition was scheduled for the end of 2018, after being pushed by the original August deadline. The companies expect that the agreement will be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2019.
"By combining their activities, Gemalto and Thales intend to create a global leader in digital security," said Thales earlier.
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