# Internet of Things (IoT) Technologies in Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities
###### Abstract  
The continuous development and increasing availability of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions have led to an era of connectivity in which everyday objects--from household appliances to industrial machines--are connected via the Internet [1]. The opportunities offered by IoT bring tangible benefits to various sectors of the economy and society, including healthcare, transport, manufacturing, and so-called smart city solutions. However, the widespread use of IoT devices and their integration with the rest of the transmission and data processing infrastructure have also expanded the surface of cyber-attacks and created new cybersecurity challenges that require detailed research and new solutions [2]. IoT devices are characterised mainly by limited computing power, memory and energy resources. These limitations make implementing traditional resource-intensive security protocols, such as encryption or complex intrusion detection systems, difficult [3]. Additionally, the heterogeneous nature of IoT environments--with devices varying widely in capabilities, operating systems, and communication protocols--makes it challenging to manage security and establish consistent protection methods effectively. As a result, diversity increases the risk of security breaches and challenges in developing and implementing scalable, universal cybersecurity solutions [4]. Another characteristic of IoT systems is their decentralisation. Decentralisation is also a significant barrier to effective real-time monitoring, detection, and threat response. It may necessitate the development of new, tiered solutions that consider both the diverse hardware and software characteristics and the distributed nature of the environment [5]. The security problems of IoT devices are also a source of inspiration related to the search for new solutions in the field of cybersecurity. The following are among the most important directions of research directly related to the development of IoT:  
Improving encryption efficiency: Since most IoT devices have significantly limited resources, searching for simpler encryption methods is necessary. Such \"lightweight\" algorithms aim to ensure strong security for the data processed by IoT devices without negatively impacting the device's available resources [6]. Smart threat detection using artificial intelligence methods: Despite limited resources, the large number of IoT devices and the significant amount of information generated almost continuously by these devices indicate that these data can be an excellent source for automatic analysis using machine learning methods. In particular, methods that allow for detecting unusual patterns that may signal cyber-attacks are increasingly applied in the context of cybersecurity. Machine learning has the potential to enable faster threat detection and automated security responses [7]. Blockchain and decentralised security architectures: Blockchain technology enables the establishment of decentralised trust frameworks in IoT solutions. Utilising such solutionsprovides the opportunity to enhance security in terms of data integrity and the secure authentication of devices in a decentralised manner without the need to rely on a single, common central source of trust. Blockchain also offers a potential solution to other issues related to cybersecurity and privacy that are inherently associated with IoT networks [8]. Among the other crucial cybersecurity research problems particularly relevant to IoT solutions is the issue of security management with the need to optimise resource utilisation. This translates into the development of optimisation techniques aimed at making it possible to define and implement security protocols so that they are both light enough for IoT devices with limited resources and resistant to sophisticated cyber-attacks [9]. Another research issue concerns standardising and enabling interoperability in the highly heterogeneous hardware and software environments of IoT systems.