As the Internet of Things (IoT) expands its reach into a broader swath of our daily life, users are recognizing new levels of security concerns. We now carry embedded technology with us everywhere, often log in to accounts from a range of non-work or home locations, and undoubtedly face other risks of information exposure.
Alert users of the net are looking to site and app designers for increased security protocols (or they will be!). If your company hasn’t modified its security goals based on IoT changes, it’s definitely time to get started.
Here are four areas that users have raised concerns about; how will you respond?
1. Customized Settings
IoT users differ widely from one another. Some require very little privacy overall and others aim for comprehensive protection of their personal information.
Unfortunately, most sites bury the majority of the information about their privacy settings for users, however, and that poses a barrier to customer access. Hardly anyone bothers to read those terms and most will simply skim the user settings to determine how secure their information is.
This is why it makes sense to offer a range of security options to all your users the way Google does, for example: allowing customers to choose who can access their information. If you choose this option, make sure your defaults offer a high level of security, though.
You don’t want users’ first experience of your site to create a sense of over-exposure. As both a real safeguard and a reassuring exercise for users, you may want to make privacy setting configuration a required step in creating an account.
2. App Security
Most sites regard their apps as the best way to collect personal information from a mobile device. In large part, this is because apps can ensure a higher level of data protection.
It’s difficult for site owners to be certain that every user’s mobile connections are secure; phones use different browsers and may link to unprotected public networks. But what companies can do is issue updates and patch repairs for apps that will override such concerns.
If your company doesn’t have an app yet or doesn’t require users to install the app for secure interactions, you might think about transitioning to an app-only setup. By providing the right tools for the job, you’re in a better position to ensure a positive user experience.
3. Constant Customer Service
IoT has expanded the need for customer service to the 24/7 level. Hackers can strike at any hour. That’s why it’s important for websites to offer multiple modes of contact for user assistance around the clock.
Especially popular with users today are self-help tools accessible online, which AppDirect recommends to its clients: Younger users who have grown up online are particularly interested in troubleshooting their own tech problems first.
Extended customer service requires object-level companies to work alongside their cloud providers to mend any gaps between these two security levels. Now that so much sensitive information is getting stored both in devices and in the cloud, however, failure to offer expanded customer service options poses too great a risk, even for low-stakes participants in IoT.
As Microsoft tells customers who believe information isn’t at risk for hacking: People hack things because they can. The risk is real, no matter what information is at stake.
4. Hacking And Fraud Alerts
Finally, IoT users not only want to trust that you’re taking care of any security gaps, but they also want to be made aware of fraud, hacking, or other breach concerns as the arise. This enables users to increase their own level of vigilance with regard to their information, check for fraudulent charges, change passwords, and take other recommended steps for themselves.
You should empower your customers to partner with you in managing web security. IoT has made your business a big part of their lives, so it’s time to engage them with addressing these concerns.
