Vulnerability Analysis in IoT Systems: A Cabo Verde Case Study

Context

Connected devices are becoming part of how Cabo Verde manages scarce resources: sensors in fields, pumps and reservoirs in water systems, and monitoring equipment spread across islands. These deployments often run on constrained hardware, unreliable connectivity and limited maintenance budgets, and many were not designed with security as a first concern.

My dissertation, linked to the SSWAxC4V context, looks at what that means in practice: which vulnerabilities affect IoT systems used for water management, agriculture and monitoring, and which assessment and mitigation approaches are realistic in a small island setting.

Objectives

• Map the current literature on IoT vulnerabilities and vulnerability assessment.
• Identify and classify the vulnerabilities most relevant to IoT systems in water, agriculture and monitoring.
• Evaluate existing assessment and mitigation approaches against the constraints of these deployments.
• Explore computational models or software-based approaches that could support assessment.
• Validate the work in a context relevant to Cabo Verde.

Approach

1. Systematic literature review — a structured review of vulnerabilities, taxonomies and assessment methods for IoT.
2. Classification — organising the vulnerabilities identified into a framework that fits the systems under study.
3. Evaluation — comparing assessment and mitigation approaches for feasibility, cost and coverage.
4. Exploration — prototyping or modelling software-based approaches where they add value.
5. Validation — testing the findings in a setting relevant to Cabo Verde.

Status

The research is ongoing, with completion expected in February 2027. The steps above describe the plan; results will be published here once they exist.