IoT Security was on full display at this year's Black Hat Conference

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At this year’s Black Hat Conference, IoT device security was a hot topic among the world’s most prominent technology security experts and hackers, reported Recode.

The following major areas of IoT security were highlighted:

• Vehicle security: This area of security saw the most cooperation between the security community and the original equipment manufacturers (i.e. carmakers) as the latter move into new technological sectors with the expansion of the connected car market. The auto industry representatives at the conference outlined their vested interest in security. With 381 million connected vehicles set to be on the road by 2021, security for vehicles has never been more important.
• The cloud: Cloud professionals at the conference preached the need for better performance from cloud security services. Experts noted that cloud security is similar to data center security in that professionals will set up security before they understand what exactly they must protect or the best means of going about that protection. The cloud has its own set of tools and features, and setting up cloud security requires a cloud-specific approach, rather than a recycled noncloud solution.
• General IoT security: Recode spoke with numerous IoT professionals who expressed concerns about security for consumer IoT devices, notably smart home devices. Since the market for consumer IoT solutions is less mature than it is for enterprise or manufacturing, security for those devices is not as developed as it is for other IoT use cases. Further, the emphasis on getting to market quickly is often coming at the expense of device security, leaving consumers with vulnerable devices.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on cybersecurity that details the current landscape for companies in critical infrastructure sectors, as well as how companies can protect their control systems from hackers.

Here are some of the key points from the report:

• Companies that operate critical infrastructure sites reported 295 cyber incidents in 2015, up from 245 in 2014.
• Hackers are targeting the industrial control systems that operate critical infrastructure because of the enormous damage they can cause by crippling such infrastructure.
• Industrial control systems typically weren’t designed to be connected to the internet, so they weren’t built with cybersecurity capabilities to ward off hackers.
• The hack that caused a blackout in the Ukraine could serve as a blueprint for other hackers that want to target critical infrastructure, helping them succeed in future attackers. 
• The Ukraine hack highlighted the importance of training employees about cybersecurity and placing additional access controls on industrial control systems beyond firewalls.

In full, the report:

• Explains the challenges that companies face in securing industrial control systems that they are connecting to the internet.
• Breaks down what made the hack against the Ukraine’s power grid so successful.
• Highlights how this attack will impact other companies operating critical infrastructure.
• Details the best methods for securing industrial control systems against hackers.

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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of cybersecurity.