TABLE OF CONTENTS If your device connects to the Internet, you need to pay attention to network security. Many devices that connect only to local networks can benefit from security measures as well.
Without effective security, an unauthorized user may do any of the following:
View your data, device firmware, or the contents of any files.
Alter or erase files.
Install and run program code on your device.
Submit Web-page form data that causes the device to malfunction or has other unintended consequences.
Spy on transmissions to and from your device.
Gain access to other computers in the local network.
Clog your network with repeated attempts to communicate, preventing authorized users from accessing the device and other computers in the local network and possibly preventing the device from performing the tasks it s responsible for.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent these activities. Not every device needs to implement every security measure. What steps to take depend on the device, its capabilities and responsibilities, the local network the device resides in, and any connections the device has to networks outside the local network.
In some ways, embedded systems are often inherently more secure than a PC with a familiar operating system and plenty of resources to exploit. If your device s firmware is in a one-time-programmable (OTP) ROM, you don t have to worry about preventing malicious users from overwriting the firmware. If your device serves Web pages that contain no private information, there s no need to encrypt the data being sent.
