X
Business

New IoT Cybersecurity Alliance formed by AT&T, IBM, others

The new group's founding members also include Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec and Trustonic.
Written by Stephanie Condon, Senior Writer

A group of businesses from across the IoT value chain have formed the IoT Cybersecurity Alliance, aiming to use their combined expertise to allay business concerns about the Internet of Things and solve its security challenges.

The founding members of the group include AT&T, IBM, Nokia, Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, and Trustonic.

Security is a major concern for businesses as they research and implement IoT infrastructure, and for good reason: AT&T noted that in the past three years it has seen a 3,198-percent increase in attackers scanning for vulnerabilities in IoT devices. In a survey the company conducted last year, 58 percent of business leaders said they were not confident in the security of their IoT devices.

"The explosive growth in the number of IoT devices is only expected to continue; therefore, so must the associated cybersecurity protections," said Mo Katibeh, AT&T senior vice president of Advanced Solutions, in a statement. "Today's businesses are connecting devices ranging from robots on factory floors to pacemakers and refrigerators. Helping these organizations stay protected requires innovation across the whole IoT ecosystem to enable sustainable growth."

The new group outlined a number of specific goals, starting with conducting collaborative research on IoT security challenges across verticals such as health care, automotive, and industrial. The group also aims to influence the development of security standards and policies surrounding IoT. Its stated goals also including making security easy to access across the ecosystem and helping to educate businesses and consumers on protecting their connections.

Video: Your original iPhone won't work on AT&T's network anymore

Editorial standards