Wednesday, April 18, 2018

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Internet of Things - Pros and Cons

Like everything else, the Internet of Things has both good qualities and bad qualities. 

At a first glance, it looks almost foolproof; what could be wrong with being able to connect to everything just from your phone? An IoT user will be getting a lot of things out this. They will be able to better secure their house; they will be able to monitor just about anything in their house (kids, temperature, etc...) by using an app most, smart vehicles will make traveling and commuting safer, manufacturing will be improved significantly, and many other benefits.

All these good things come at a price though. The Internet of Things is facing some security challenges. All the existing security issues that come with the internet and mobile devices are added to the new list of issues that come with the IoT. Data loss and data theft are at the top of the list. If a hacker were to ever gain access to one of the devices on your IoT network, your data would be compromised. They would have access to anything and everything that is correctly connected to that specific network. The more devices on the IoT network, the greater the probability is of a hacker gaining access.

Every application needs to be updated every now and then. Most updates are minor things or security updates. We all know that with every update comes a new set of issues, especially in a big application (a POS system for example). While the updates are meant to fix a lot of things, they also invite all sorts of new problems. With IoT, the constant updating will bring newer and newer security risks while attempting to fix the previous ones.

Final Verdict?

I personally would like to see where IoT is going. It's definitely a good idea but I don't know if I would risk my personal information just to be able to control everything I own from my phone. I'm not one for losing things, but if I ever lost my phone or whatever I use to keep up with my IoT devices, I would be at a loss. Depending on who found my device, my network could potentially be at risk and in today's world that is not a good thing. I'll stick with what we have now and wait to see where IoT is going.

8 comments:

  1. When using Windows 10 IoT the updates to the system seem to be regular and pushed down from Microsoft. However, while using Linux OS's on devices the updates are more controlled. IoT and the handling of security is a challenging concept.
    I definitely agree loosing a device that would potentially allow the finder of the device direct access to my digital life could be a scary issue.

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  2. Neisha M, you make very good points when it comes to the IoT. However, as a developer, you have to be ahead of the game. You have to think about the possibilities before they ever happen. For example, if you did lose your phone that controlled your house, your car, your personal data, or whatever it may be, we have to have something in place to completely destroy that access and information if it is ever lost. It could be you accessing the phone from another device or having a smart feature on the phone that knows someone is trying to hack into it. If we're smart enough to create technology to control other devices, then we have to be smart enough to create technology that keeps the unwanted out. At least, that's my opinion on the topic. :)

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  3. I'm not sure why it posted my comment as "Unknown," but the above post on April 22, 2018 at 4:57 PM belongs to me.

    Thanks,
    Carole English

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  4. Hello Neisha,

    As soon as I read your first sentence, I immediately thought – hacking smart cars and home security systems. Just using a quick Google search on both, there are a lot of articles that address this very issue. Yes, it is a real concern, but the results painted a more paranoid version of what could happen when you are hacked. As long as you practice responsible technology use and keep your system up-to-date, I doubt it should be a constant concern for people who use such systems.

    - Wesley

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  5. I agree with the notion that security is the most difficult challenge facing IoT proliferation into new areas. However, I believe the benefits outweigh the risks. The risk of data security breach will never go away, whether we use IoT devices or any other devices. IoT opens the doors for new applications in industrial, healthcare, agricultural, retail, life style, entertainment, and many other areas. Before social media, people were worried about their personal information and pictures and today they proudly share them with the world :)

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  6. The great thing with the loss of a phone issue is how easy it is to brick a phone remotely, and restore all settings with a new phone. While in the short term it would be hard (example, rely on phone to unlock door and lose it only to not be able to unlock door). That said, I do see your point there. My biggest concern with IoT is the companies pumping out some of these gadgets aren't up to the highest level of security that I would prefer to see. End users don't know how to secure devices, so the company should send them with security in mind.
    -Kyle

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  7. Lo T is available on my home security system, the frig, HVAC and my Cadillac, but I rarely use the technology. It works well if I want to check that I locked the door when I left home or to turn on the heat or air in my car, but I don't think I will ever become one of those people who talk to machines to control their home environment.

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  8. Hi Neisha,
    Nice post. It seems now a days that everything needs hooking up with the internet. Even though the internet itself has been very popular for the last twenty or so years, quit recent, it seems everything from dishwashers to doors needs to be connected to the internet. Some of it, I get but like you, I feel the craze is too much, not sure weather this trend will last or its just a fad that will fail away.

    Ngozi

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