IoT in The World

Image1 . Internet de las cosas

The use of the internet is essential in every aspect of our lives, whether to talk with our relatives, to make inquiries, or even to work remotely, in the industrial field the internet allows the interconnection of all systems and/or machines such as sensors, software, and other technologies.

The internet of things (IoT) or also called the internet of everything is based on managing the connections between the user and the different devices through the internet, in the following article you will know the functionality, benefits, and aspects related to security and privacy in the implementation of IoT systems.

About IoT

As previously said, the internet of things allows people to have greater control over their life and home automation, however, for companies this allows them to have greater control over the processes carried out in their company allows real-time visualization of your systems. , providing information on everything from machine performance to supply chain and logistics operations.

According to Oracle, all this was raised several years ago, however, it was implemented thanks to the participation of various technologies such as:

• Access to low-cost, low-power sensor technology.
• Connectivity, in this aspect it is often spoken of the network protocols for the transfer of “things” to the cloud.
• Cloud computing platforms, which allow easy acquisition or administration of the system.
• Machine learning and analysis, constant learning allow the implementation of more efficient technologies in the processes.
• Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advances in neural networks have brought natural language processing (NLP) to IoT devices (such as Alexa, Cortana, and Siri digital personal digital assistants) and made them attractive, affordable, and viable for home use.

Here is a graphic example of an IoT system.

Image2. Example of an IoT system.

Steve Ranger in his article “What is the IoT? Everything you need to know about the Internet of Things right now” (February 3, 2020), offers an example about the functionality of the internet of things.

“A lightbulb that can be switched on using a smartphone app is an IoT device, as is a motion sensor or a smart thermostat in your office or a connected streetlight. An IoT device could be as fluffy as a child’s toy or as serious as a driverless truck. Some larger objects may themselves be filled with many smaller IoT components, such as a jet engine that’s now filled with thousands of sensors collecting and transmitting data back to make sure it is operating efficiently. At an even bigger scale, smart cities projects are filling entire regions with sensors to help us understand and control the environment.”

As is well known, this technology is beneficial for everyone, especially for industrial use, however, it is important to define the advantages and disadvantages that arise if you want to manage IoT.

The most relevant advantages:

• The ability to access information from anywhere at any time on any device.
• Improved communication between connected electronic devices.
• Allows data packets to be transferred over a connected network saving time and money.
• Automate tasks helping to improve the quality of a company’s services and reducing the need for human intervention.

And the main disadvantages:

• Network security may suffer as the number of connected devices increases.
• In the case of companies, having multiple devices connected in the IoT network can cause data loads on the server, in addition to that the distribution and administration will be complicated.
• If there is an error in the system, all connected devices are likely damaged.
• Communication between devices is non-standard, making it difficult for devices from different manufacturers to communicate with each other.

Segurity and Privacity

Security is one of the most important aspects to deal with when talking about the internet of things, because the more devices are implemented within companies, the greater the risk, since a single point of failure opens the door to multiple attacks.

“Physical security is probably more of an issue since these devices are often outdoors or in remote locations and can be physically accessed by anyone. Once you have physical access to the device, protection issues are significantly reduced” mentioned Randy Marchany, Corporate Director of Information Security at Virginia Tech University and director of the Virginia Tech’s IT Security Laboratory.

Therefore, to reduce the risks of our IoT devices being attacked, it is advisable to take into account a series of suggestions:

• Change the default credentials of our IoT devices.
• Use strong passwords.
• Update your firmware to its latest version.
• Install updates for the applications of our IoT devices as soon as they are available.
• Deactivate the features and functionalities that we do not want to use.
• If we do not use the network connectivity of our device, turn it off. If we use it, or if it is necessary for the operation of the device, let us verify that the administration panel is not accessible from the internet.
• Apply robust network segmentation for connected IoT devices. We must ask ourselves: Does the device need to connect to the internet? Do you need to access the same network that our other corporate devices connect to?
• Disable or protect remote access to our IoT devices as long as it is not necessary. Remote access is the functionality that allows you to control them remotely.
• Research and take advantage of the security measures offered by our particular IoT device.

In conclusion, IoT platforms and systems allow the improvement of processes, whether for industry or for personal use, however, managing these systems has great risks related to the invasion of privacy or damage to the system itself that increase depending on the amount. devices added to the system, thus maintaining precautions through rigorous validity checks, authentication, verification, and data encryption on each device added to the network.

References

• Holloway, C. (2018, 1 November). Internet of Things[Image1]. https://www.itmastersmag.com/noticias-analisis/plataformas-iot-que-son-y-como-elegir-la-mejor-para-el-negocio/
• Example of an IoT system. (s. f.). [Image2]. https://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/Internet-of-Things-IoT
• What is IoT?(s. f.). [Article]. https://www.oracle.com/internet-of-things/what-is-iot/
• Security recommendations for IoT devices. (s. f.). IThink. Recovered 25 de Augosto de 2021, de https://www.ithinkupc.com/es/blog/recomendaciones-de-seguridad-en-dispositivos-iot