Internet of Things and Emerging Issues with Security

The Internet of Things (IoT) is not a new concept, but recently it has been generating a lot more interest both in the business world and in society in general. IoT is the concept of connecting any device to the Internet—whether that is smart phones, cars, household appliances, wearable devices, etc. Anything that can be automated in one way or another, and that can be turned on or off and connected to the internet falls into the realm of IoT. This doesn’t just cover items themselves, but also components inside of machines that can be hooked up to the Internet and accessed remotely (such as the drill on an oil rig, or the GPS inside of a car).

IoT is not just limited to things—it also includes people who are connected through the network. Relationships inside of the IoT can be people to people, people in relation to things, and things to things. Through this system of connection, there is very little that falls outside of the realm of IoT. GE estimates that within the next three years, IoT will become a $200 billion dollar global industry, which will continue to increase as more devices are added into the network.

Within the next five years, it is estimated that the number of devices connected to the Internet will outnumber people by over seven to one. As technology and the automation of things evolves, our lives will become more connected to the world around us. From traffic patterns based on cell-phone movement, apps that allow us access to our vehicles, health devices that send updates directly to our primary care physician. There are ways to automate everything we see, touch, and interact with each day.

 The opportunities that IoT gives to users is endless, but the trade-offs for higher integration can be alarming. The biggest concern with IoT is the lack of security for users. With billions of devices connected through the Internet, and sensitive information being used to make user lives’ function more smoothly, the major question being asked is, “How is this data being secured?” If, for example, an alarm clock is tapped into a user’s network, could hackers access this information and gain access to all of the user’s personal information stored online?

This is important not just for the consumers, but for companies as well. Big data and information obtained and put into the IoT is not strictly limited to the consumer. In fact, by 2025, the healthcare sector, private businesses and corporations, security firms, and retail stores will use IoT both internally and externally, generating immense amounts of big data that could later be used against them if security is not increased. IoT can be used by corporations and healthcare providers to manage and track their inventory and production, increase their efficiency, and help to save on production costs. What happens if a company’s network is hacked through one of the automated devices, and all of the corporation’s private information is available to a third party?

How can a company protect itself from external threats when there is such a large amount of information being gathered and stored within IoT? How can every single product linked to a network be protected?

As more devices are being added to the networks within IoT, security is becoming even more of a challenge due to machine to machine connections. Security measures have to look at maintaining, managing, monitoring and securing the information on all machines and devices that are linked through the network. While there are a lot of opportunities for companies because of IoT, the risks associated could make IoT a gigantic liability. The tradeoff, however, will be worth the effort—provided that better methods of securing individual components and machines inside of networks increases to match the growing connection of devices worldwide.

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Sina Falaki writes as a millennial voice on sales, analytics, and technological trends. All opinions expressed are my own and they do not reflect the opinions of any of my current organizations. Like what you read? Share, comment, and like this article.