Internet-of-Things – All you need to know

The Internet-of-Things, also known is IoT, is the connection of devices and humans through the internet. As technology improves constantly, the internet has found its way into objects that nobody would have imagined twenty years ago.

Mention the word ‘internet’ back in 2000, most people would probably imagine a bulky desktop with a squarish screen, running Internet Explorer at 56 kbps. Today? The average internet speed has increased more than 3000 times, and it could fit right into your pocket – in fact most people’s pockets.

Being portable and fast means that it can be integrated into all sorts of devices, forming a network through which devices ‘talk’ to each other, analyzing data collected and making our lives more convenient than ever before.

How does it work?

This is one example of how IoT works. The righter-most column are objects that are designed to be internet-compatible. These can be connected to a local network, such as Local Area Network (LAN) connection, which are then connected to the global internet. We then have the cloud services, which are essentially users ‘renting’ storage and processing power from a service provider. All these lead up to the user at the end of the chain, controlling the network of devices with something like a smartphone, tablet or computer.

Applications

There are practically unlimited ways that IoT can be used, but here some noteworthy examples:

• Smart homes
• Self-driving cars
• Smart city
• Smart grids

While IoT opens up a whole new world of possible applications, there are still certain issues that can be improved on.

Security

As with anything internet-related, security is a primary concern. With the amount of data that IoT devices collect and process, a compromised system can result in sensitive personal information being leaked, and even worse, to malicious hackers.

An example would be webcams. It is not uncommon to hear of webcams being hacked, whether by people with malicious intent or not. Hence, you should always ensure that your devices are secure and the data being transmitted are properly encrypted.

Privacy

Somewhat related to the security issue, the privacy concern also considers the large amounts of data collected by these devices. Companies that sell these devices to you could collect these information to profile you for other purposes such as advertising.

So, what are your thoughts on IoT? Do you think the benefits are worth the drawbacks that it brings? Feel free to drop a comment below!