The Emerging Internet of Things
One of the most dynamic and exciting developments in information and communications technology is the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT). Although networking technologies have become increasingly ubiquitous over the past two decades, until recently they have largely been restricted to connecting traditional end-user devices, such as mainframes, desktop and laptop computers, and, more recently, smartphones and tablets. Recent years have witnessed the attachment of a much broader range of devices to the network. These have included vehicles, household appliances, medical devices, electric meters and controls, street lights, traffic controls, smart TVs and digital assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Industry analysts estimate that there are currently more than eight billion such devices connected to the network and project that this number will expand to more than 25 billion by 2022.
The increasing deployment of these devices has enabled new use cases for network technologies. Some experts project that the IoT may generate as much as US$13 trillion in revenue by 2025. Industry analysts estimate that there are currently more than eight billion such devices connected to the network and project that this number will expand to more than 25 billion by 2020.
Unlike traditional cyber systems, which connect general-purpose computers, IoT systems often link together highly specialized devices designed for specific purposes with only a limited degree of programmability and customizability. In addition, IoT systems often store and process data in a distributed manner, in contrast to the highly centralized approach of consolidating storage and computing power in large data centres. In addition, IoT systems are sometimes called cyber-physical systems, because unlike purely cyber systems, they also include sensors that collect data from the physical world.
The distributed nature and the presence of physical sensors create both new opportunities and vulnerabilities from the standpoint of security and privacy. To date, however, the industry, end-users and the academic community have only just begun to appreciate what the burgeoning deployment of this technology might mean and to study how to prepare for the challenges posed by this new technological environment.
The Personal Nature of the Information Collected
One of the IoT’s most distinctive aspects is the increasingly personal nature of the information collected. Connecting vehicles to the network means that others can track those vehicles’ movements and the manner in which they are operated. The use of smart devices in homes can reveal a great deal of information about residents’ habits and the ways that they live their lives
Sensors as a New Attack Vector
Everyone who has used the internet is well aware of the onslaught of cyber attacks that bombard computers nearly every day. Viruses, worms, trojans, botnets and other forms of malware have become all-too-familiar parts of the online experience, as are persistent efforts to hack through security. The fact that IoT systems necessarily incorporate sensors that collect data from the physical world subjects them to an entirely new vector of attack.
In addition to the range of traditional online threats, flooding a sensor with electromagnetic radiation can cause it to malfunction. Even worse, a more sophisticated attacker can send carefully calibrated erroneous information to the sensor that can cause the system to take actions that are not warranted by the actual situation. For example, something as simple as spoofing location data can cause a connected car to veer far off course.
To Conclude IOT is a weapon that is now accessible by each and every person. It’s Applications Has made the life much easier but has increased the security threats and is hazard to health as people are not involved physically and are much machine dependent.
Assistant Professor Jaspreet Khera
Lyallpur Khalsa College
Kapurthala.
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