IoT: How Vodafone is building trust in a world of risk (Guest blog by Vodafone)
With security built-in by design, Vodafone is a trustworthy partner for businesses wanting to benefit from all the Internet of Things has to offer, argues Vodafone's UK Business Director, Nick Gliddon.
The Internet of Things (IoT) can automate repetitive but worthwhile tasks, collecting data that would otherwise be hard to gather. This can save your business time and money and provide it with valuable insights.
And yet firms may be reluctant to embrace IoT due to legitimate concerns over security, because the more connected devices and sensors you have in a network, the greater the “threat surface” as cybersecurity experts call it. This just means the greater opportunity there is for hackers to break in.
At Vodafone, we believe we can answer those concerns and be a trusted technology partner for our customers.
The Internet of Things: Everything you need to know
The Internet of Things may sound like buzzword bingo, but this low-key yet wide-ranging technology is already changing our lives in many ways.
Although IoT will be new to many organisations, it’s a long-standing part of what we do at Vodafone. In fact, IoT is the fastest-growing part of our business. To date, 136 million Vodafone IoT SIMs are being used across 182 countries. Organisations across the globe have placed their trust in us. Which is why security isn’t an afterthought for us, it’s core to how we approach IoT at every stage.
So we don’t just sell IoT, we own the infrastructure behind it, from connections to servers, with multiple layers of data protection available for end-to-end protection. Our IoT SIMs are designed to be tamper-resistant and can be given access only to the services and connections relevant to the tasks you want them to do.
Experts constantly review our security procedures and policies to ensure that, like our technology, they are state-of-the-art and fit for purpose. And through IoT.nxt we give our customers a centralised way of monitoring and controlling their entire IoT portfolio, so they are never out of the loop.
Of course, nothing is entirely without risk. But Vodafone’s top-to-bottom, belt-and-braces approach to IoT cybersecurity is delivering both innovation and security to organisations of all stripes across the UK, from Dorset Council and Defra/Forest Research, to utility companies and The British and Irish Lions.
Vodafone is helping them put IoT to work securely and effectively.
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Vodafone’s IoT experience and expertise has also been sought by the UK Government when drafting it’s Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill. In setting security standards for consumer IoT as high as those that exist for enterprise IoT, everyone stands to benefit. Of course, everyone can already benefit from the top-notch security of Vodafone’s consumer IoT products, such as the Curve range.
Most companies understand the efficiency gains and service improvements IoT can offer their businesses. But if some are still reluctant to invest because of security concerns, our message is clear: as your expert technology partner, we can offer the security and support you need to give you the edge in a highly competitive market.
Wherever you are on your IoT journey, Vodafone is here to help.
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