Smart building complexity is creating dangerous new hacking opportunities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is not a glimpse into a hi-tech future. The reality is it’s already here, changing the way we live and work forever. Gartner predicts that over 14 billion connected “things” will be in use this year, rising to 25 billion in two years’ time. Many of these are installed around the smart home and in corporate buildings. But when devices are integrated with each other via automation platforms, problems emerge. What we have dubbed “complex IoT environments” (CIEs) offer new opportunities for hackers to launch physical and digital attacks. That’s bad news for IT professionals as it means a further expansion of the corporate attack surface.