Executive's guide to securing the Internet of Things (Free ebook)

Forrester recently characterized Internet of Things (IoT) technologies as "diverse and immature," lacking in standards--and lagging in security. Yet despite its fragmented evolution, the IoT seems to be everywhere these days, flooding the market with consumer electronics, monitoring systems, wearables, and environmental sensors.

Gartner predicts that the number of connected things will reach 6.4 billion this year, hitting 20.8 billion by 2020. IDC expects the worldwide IoT market will have grown to $1.7 trillion by then. Machina Research suggests that this year, the C-suite will start to get on board with IoT's ability to provide "competitive differentiators of the 21st century" and will appoint a chief IoT officer.

Such predictions point to the IoT's potential for explosive growth, tremendous economic impact, and the promise of boundless opportunities for business innovation and personal convenience -- but increasingly, they also suggest the likelihood of escalating cybercrime. Gartner forecasts that by 2020, IoT security requirements will consume 20 percent of annual security budgets (up from less than 1 percent in 2015). Even the FBI has jumped on the cautionary bandwagon, issuing a public service announcement for consumers who have installed connected devices.

To help IT leaders and corporate executives sort out the riskier aspects of IoT technologies, we've put together this ebook. It provides an overview of potential threats and offers a look at best practices and solutions being adopted by organizations to safeguard their digital assets as they implement IoT solutions.

The ebook is available as a free PDF download for registered ZDNet and TechRepublic members. If you're not already a member, you can click here to register. It only takes a moment.