Symantec: We are securing one billion IoT devices

IoT entering the 'next frontier' according to security giant

Symantec has claimed it is securing more than one billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices and is investing in more security solutions to bolster its offering in this area.

The security vendor said it is planning to introduce new technology, including an IoT portal to manage IoT security from a single point, and security analytics to spot anomalies, to complement its existing portfolio.

Shankar Somasundaram, senior director of IoT security at Symantec, said the firm is moving into new verticals as threats evolve.

"As IoT innovation and adoption continues to grow, so has the opportunity for new cybersecurity risks. This is the next frontier. In the automotive industry, hackers can literally steer the car and hit the brakes from their keyboards," he said.

"Symantec is partnering with manufacturers in the automotive, industrial control, and semiconductor industries, in addition to our work in the healthcare and retail markets."

To boost its presence in the retail industry, Symantec has partnered with Wincor, which provides IT services and hardware primarily to the retail banking sector.

Market watcher Gartner has predicted that the number of connected things will jump to 25 billion by 2020, and as this number increases, Symantec claims it is "leading the effort to protect consumers from hacks against their always-on, internet-connected devices".