EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Recent network hacks “prove we live in an unsecure world” warned Harm Jan Arendshorst, global lead of IoT security and international strategy at Verizon (pictured), as he called for an immediate focus on the growing security threat around interconnected devices.

Speaking to Mobile World Live, Arendshorst said it was becoming ever more important for the industry and other verticals to work together and fight against the growing risk of cyber crime and hacking, with IoT at the heart of his thinking.

“IoT is a good vehicle to get into that collaborative mode, not just for operators, but for financial services organisations, government agencies and other industries as well,” he said, adding: “We have seen a lot of focus on the mobile side, a lot of focus on the identity of the user, now it’s time to get the focus on the IoT side.”

Arendshort explained IoT and interconnected devices “will have an identity on its own”, and each different device which is interconnected, in the home for example, will generate data that will need to be protected.

In the interview, the Verizon executive also opened up on operators’ responsibility in protecting user data, and revealed his thoughts on what the EU’s upcoming GDPR legislation will mean for the internet.

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