Symantec hits the 1 billion protected IoT devices mark
The security firm has also expanded its Unified Security Strategy by investing in and offering what it describes as the industry’s most comprehensive IoT solutions.
It has signed Wincor, a provider of IT solutions and services to retail banks and the retail industry and other leading manufacturers in the industrial and automotive ecosystems. Symantec Senior Director of Internet of Things Security, Shankar Somasundaram, said that as IoT innovation and adoption continues to grow, so has the opportunity for new cyber security risks.
“Symantec is partnering with manufacturers in the automotive, industrial control, and semiconductor industries, in addition to our work in healthcare and retail markets.” The vendor’s approach includes authentication, device security, analytics and management to help prevent cars, medical devices, industrial control systems, and consumer electronics from getting hacked, tracked and electronically hijacked.
Symantec business manager information protection, Nick Savvides, told ARN that the management platform and subsequent analytics was an area that partners could capitalise on.
“There are two ways partners can operate in this space, one is to deliver this capability as a managed service, and the other is by working with a vendor that is creating a specific technology,” he said.
“If a vendor is making home security systems for example, it may want to use the Symantec platform because it makes everything easier for them to manage but they still don’t want to manage it internally, that is where the partners can add value.
“Partners can also fulfill and advisory role with their manufacturing customers on selecting the right technology and ensuring customers are following best practices because many of these companies have very little understanding of the modern threat landscape.”
Read more: INSIGHT: Top cybersecurity questions every board needs to address
The vendor’s future plans to address IoT security include introducing new technologies, such as an IoT portal for managing all IoT security from a single interface, and security analytics for proactively detecting anomalies that might indicate stealthy attacks on IoT networks.
Read More: