As more schools and businesses incorporate Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their facilities, they bring with them a host of new problems even as they solve others.  One of the biggest dangers of all this new tech is in default passwords.  Cybercriminals and other aspiring bad actors no longer need to find an administrative password to the one server on-site, they only need to break into one of the many IoT devices on your network, a process made easier with default passwords and technical backdoors.

It’s often not the devices you suspect, such as laptops and phones, but any network connected device can be the weak link that creates the vulnerability, such as webcams, smartboards, automated lighting, temperature controllers, connected doorbells, and the like.  Always make sure that you change default passwords as soon as you are able and make every attempt to keep IoT devices on a separate network from critical data.  

Already in 2024, several school districts have reported data breaches due to insecure network devices and the number of cyber attacks being directed against organizations continues to rise year after year.  Don’t be among the vulnerable masses.