How IoT and cloud-based cybersecurity improve businesses productivity

By Fernando Serto, Field CTO, Asia Pacific, Japan, and China Cloudflare

The rise in the use of the Internet has truly catalyzed the exchange of data through digital means. Current trends like IoT, AI/ML, Automation and DataOps, further advocated by government initiatives like Digital India, are persuading leaders to embrace an approach that helps them thrive in a digital economy. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has also substantially amplified the magnitude of digital adoption in India. While the pandemic surely disrupted the business ecosystem, it also presented businesses with opportunities to strengthen their digital infrastructure and become future-ready.

What emerged as an unavoidable debate though is cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has become an area of concern for every organization, regardless of the number of resources it might have to combat cyberattacks. Over time, attackers have developed newer tactics with the deployment of the latest technologies to steal critical information, such as data and passwords, as well as disrupt operations, affecting the overall business. As we move towards a digital future, India is gaining a prominent spot on the radar for cyber attackers.

According to a report by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), more than 6.74 lakh cybersecurity incidents were reported this year (up to June 2022).

What is the challenge for Indian businesses?
While businesses in India have begun their journey towards digitalization in the last decade, the ecosystem still lacks the knowledge and understanding of cyber threats, their impact, and prevention. Cyber attacks such as ransomware, phishing, and data theft can present a number of business challenges such as customer and data loss, reputational damage, financial loss, and intellectual property theft.

It is therefore key for businesses to understand cybersecurity and its impact on organizations. Businesses need to realize that with disruptions such as cyber threats and attacks, the overall efficiency and productivity of businesses get compromised.

Role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in enhancing business productivity

As businesses innovate to build smarter and more connected workspaces, organizations are equipping teams and workplaces with IoT applications to sustain operations. They are employing connected devices to collaborate with teams and to track, monitor, and manage operations across an organization.

Here are some benefits companies can seek with IoT applications.
● Improve collaboration – With remote or hybrid work, IoT enables devices and people to connect across geographies regardless of scale. It allows shared networks for teams to collaborate and network in real time using portable devices and cloud-hosted applications.
● Streamline operations – IoT applications are also capable of simplifying and streamlining processes while sharing real-time updates to the teams involved. In inventory management, for example, assets can be tracked and monitored while providing managers with real-time status in terms of asset movement, location, and delivery. And with smart IoT sensors, it is possible to track the exact location of an item in a warehouse or a store.
● Enhance Customer Experience (CX) – With IoT applications, businesses, especially
consumer-facing businesses have an exciting opportunity to communicate and engage with their clients. IoT applications can provide interactive, affordable, and readily accessible platforms to gather feedback and take advantage of the data to derive insights to improve CX. For example, hotels can equip rooms with smart IoT devices to connect clients directly to the desk 24X7 and gather feedback on the services.

Employing cloud-based cybersecurity solutions
Organizations now exist in a complex infrastructure environment which exacerbates the fundamental problems of the Internet more than ever. The on-premise boxes that they once relied upon to solve these problems were never designed to work in such an environment.

The result is that a major architectural shift at the network layer is now underway, and a cloud-based cybersecurity solution is necessary in order to ensure speed, reliability, and security across an organization’s most important assets.

Sealing with Zero Trust
Zero Trust is a security framework that requires strict and continuous verification of a device or a person trying to access information on a private network inside or outside a network perimeter. With the Internet being the primary platform for all business operations, it is extremely critical to implement a security model like Zero Trust which requires users, devices, and systems to prove their trustworthiness, by enforcing identity-based rules for access to data.

This offers enhanced security by reducing reliance on perimeter-based ecosystem protection.

With digitalization, technology innovation, and the changing work landscape, it is imperative for businesses to ensure their people and processes are protected. While implementing cybersecurity solutions may seem like a humongous task, it is a worthy investment for making businesses secure and future-ready.

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