IoT security must no longer be a blind spot, contends Jan Wendenburg in an interview. Through networking with other eco members, the CEO of IoT Inspector aims to jointly pursue the identification of IoT vulnerabilities and compliance violations across the entire lifecycle of IoT devices.
Mr Wendenburg, could you give us a brief introduction to IoT Inspector?
IoT Inspector is the leading European platform for automated security analysis and compliance checks of IoT, Industrial IoT and OT firmware, and is a member of “IT Security Made in Germany”. With our high-performance, automated online service, device manufacturers, integrators and professionals across all industries uncover security vulnerabilities and compliance violations in IoT devices. By integrating our services into product development and purchasing processes, IT security is also guaranteed for IoT, while reducing valuable time, resources and operational risks.
Which digitalisation topics are particularly important to you?
Without IoT security, no company, organisation or authority will survive in the future. Whether it’s critical infrastructure such as energy and water utilities, cars, planes, medical devices, network printers, or even the robot vacuum cleaner at home – without IoT security, all devices and data can be tampered with, lives endangered and substantial damage caused. Unfortunately, the topic of IoT security is still a blind spot in many places, and automated solutions like IoT Inspector are not very well known. It is important to us that IT security is not forgotten or ignored in the process of digitalisation.
What are the special challenges of your industry now and how are you working on them?Â
We detect vulnerabilities in over 90 percent of all IoT devices that we analyse with our platform. Just recently, for example, we conducted a large router test in cooperation with CHIP magazine – and found vulnerabilities in all devices of well-known manufacturers. IoT security will be the most important task in the field of IT security in the future. IoT Inspector addresses this problem at its root and identifies IoT vulnerabilities and compliance violations across the entire lifecycle – from development to integration, through to ongoing operations.
How do you expect your membership in the eco Association to support you in this?
We are particularly looking forward to the networking opportunities with other innovative companies, which will hopefully lead to many new projects and partnerships.
What opportunities does digitalisation offer us in the future?
Digitalisation and specifically the Internet of Things are going to simplify our lives – in private and especially in professional contexts. It is therefore all the more important that both manufacturers and users pay more attention to the topic of IoT security in the future. We are pleased that the legislators are also exerting more pressure here – be it at EU level or in the new German coalition agreement.
Mr Wendenburg, thank you very much for the interview!
With multiple posts at various companies focused on IT security, Jan Wendenburg is one of the industry’s established experts. He began his career at IBM, and later founded and led international IT security companies to the IPO. Most recently, as CEO, he restructured certgate GmbH and turned the company into one of the leading specialists in the field of “Secure Mobile Authentication”, while also promoting young companies as a Senator of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF). As CEO of IoT Inspector GmbH, he drives growth and internationalisation. Jan Wendenburg lives in Düsseldorf.
