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Securing The Internet of Things: Threats, Safeguards, and Future Directions

Ushaa Eswaran, Vishal Eswaran

Abstract


The Internet of Things (IoT) brings immense value while also presenting cybersecurity challenges due to its scale, distribution, and heterogeneity. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of IoT security issues, threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies through an extensive review of scholarly literature and real-world case studies. A multilayered security approach is proposed, encompassing device hardening, network monitoring, encryption, access controls, governance frameworks, and emerging technologies. The analysis underscores systemic IoT security gaps leading to major threats, including distributed denial of service, critical infrastructure manipulation, data breaches, and service disruption. It is argued that a holistic strategy involving device, network, data, identity, and governance controls is essential to safely harness IoT benefits. The study concludes by identifying key future research directions for enhancing IoT security mechanisms, cryptographic methods, AI-driven threat intelligence, blockchain applications, and global standards.


Keywords


Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, threats, vulnerabilities, attacks, device security, network security, data protection, encryption, identity management, access controls, governance, risk management, intrusion detection systems (IDS), segmentation,

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References


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