IoT devices and lifecycle stages

The Internet of Things is everything that has an on/off switch with a connection to the internet. In the organisational context, these ‘things’ often actually form part of safety-critical infrastructure or send/receive sensitive information.

This includes, but is not limited to, aircraft and air traffic control systems, mass transportation systems, nuclear reactors, missile systems, and medical treatment systems. These systems are often connected to industrial, commercial, and consumer applications, the failure of which may impact the general population.

The cost of removing a security defect in an early stage of software development can be up to 100 times less than removing a defect in software that has been distributed to customers (personal or organisational). Meanwhile, an IoT product containing inherent defects that harm the user may be the subject of a product liability suit, further highlighting the significance of dealing with security issues early; that is, during the design phase.

A secure by design process involving IoT devices needs to cover the three critical lifecycle stages of the IoT device:

In the following steps, we will explore each of these stages in more detail.