Dive Brief:

• Businesses making too-rapid a move into the Internet of Things can open a door for cyberattacks, the Strategic Sourceror reported last week.
• Threats from inside the company may be the most frequent, ranging from simple mistakes to outright abuse.
• In addition, executives should remember that just collecting data does not guarantee improved efficiency. If data is not coded to alert the technology system of its value, it may just "overload" resources unnecessarily.

Dive Insight:

It's easy to get caught up in the prospect of applying new technology. However, companies on a fast track to deploy new systems should verify the efficiency of their IT security in advance of any new launches.

A recent survey found 2 of 5 manufacturing respondents had experienced a cyberattack within the past year, with 38% of these suffering over $1 million in damages as a result. Ensuring that your system is as impenetrable as possible is more than an afterthought to getting started; it's an absolute requirement that should be considered an integral part of development.

There are numerous means to do so, including hardware authentication, user behavior analytics, and data loss prevention. All three function as a gate against abuse through identity verification and recognition of familiar usage patterns.