OWASP For IoT Security - 3

Unauthorized access to a connected device or its related components is possible thanks to insecure ecosystem interfaces, which exist within the ecosystem but outside of the devices themselves. Web interfaces, backend APIs, cloud connectivity, and mobile interfaces are examples of these interfaces. Ineffective authentication/authorization, weak or no encryption, and poorly implemented input/output filtering are all common difficulties.

Passwords are the most common—and oldest—method of authentication. The system presumes validity and permits access if the password matches exactly the password created by the user or the system. Other information-based authentication methods are also becoming increasingly prevalent. One is the system-generated one-time PIN or temporary password. It gives a user access to a single or temporary session that lasts for a predetermined amount of time before expiring. This method is commonly encountered by mobile banking customers during money transfer operations, particularly when a new recipient is added who is initially unrecognized by the system.

Another option to verify a user's identity is to utilize an authentication application, which provides temporary security codes that permit access to another website or service and is commonly installed on the user's mobile device. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are becoming more popular ways to boost security beyond what passwords alone can give. Before allowing access to a system, these processes need the successful verification of one or more modalities. MFA could, for example, require a user to provide both a password and a temporary PIN texted to their mobile device.

The only answer for insecure web interfaces, backend APIs, and cloud or mobile interfaces in the IoT ecosystem is to implement a strong authentication and authorization mechanism. Unfortunately, most modern gadgets do not successfully implement these safeguards, leaving millions of devices vulnerable to malevolent actors. Another major factor for insecure ecosystem interfaces is weak encryption or lack of encryption. Not applying appropriate encryption where required results in vulnerabilities of insecure systems. Improper input-output filtering

Input validation is a common technique for ensuring that potentially harmful inputs are safe to process within the code or while dealing with other components. When software fails to properly validate input, an attacker can design it in a way that the rest of the application does not expect. This will cause unintentional input to components of the system, resulting in a change in control flow, arbitrary control of a resource, or arbitrary code execution.