The term internet of things is used to describe devices and equipment with some intelligence and that has some kind of connectivity with the world-wide computer network, the Internet, or even with other communication networks like a satellite network for example.
Although the term "IoT" is in vogue at the moment, the internet of things is not something new. We already have household equipment connected to the internet for a long time. Examples include refrigerators, heating and cooling equipment for homes, TV, IP cameras, etc.
Since 1998 we already had refrigerators with internet connection and soon afterwards other appliances like microwave oven, toasters, coffee makers also arrived at the Market.
But, what is the potential of IoT? Impossible to measure at this time. Imagine that you can, from your mobile, program your entire home before you even reach it. Through connected devices you can program the backyard lights, reduce the air conditioned temperature, increase the water heater temperature, turn on the coffee maker to have a warm coffee for when you get home and so on. (this last is my preferred item).
So IoT will be used only on my house? Wrong, you already have some things you do daily that are IoT and you didn’t know. Your car’s multimedia may have an integrated GPS navigator or satellite audio reception or maybe your car can be connected with manufacturer and you simply ignored all those things simply because “it’s normal today”.
And the technology advances fast. In the automotive industry some brands are already able to get information remotely from their cars and, if necessary, take action remotely without anybody intervening in the vehicle. BMW has blocked the doors of one of its cars on last November and kept thief inside the vehicle until police arrive. GM with its On-Star technology can recover more than 98% of the stolen vehicles that have this embedded technology.
Endless possibilities but what about the dangers? Here's the problem (my personal opinion).
When you connect anything to the internet, this thing can be hacked, be it a TV, a refrigerator, a coffee maker, a boat ...
Several examples of things that should not be hacked are running on web, such as yachts, cars, TVs, coolers and, especially, webcams.
We do not have a security standard to ensure that objects connected to the Internet have a minimum of security. Who has already changed the default administration password from your cable TV internet router???
The user is the weakest point in this chain because he doesn’t have the minimum knowledge of security (and should not have it) and the equipment doesn’t have a standard security to follow that protects them from attacks.
In September of 2016 we experienced the biggest DNS (Domain Name Service) attack ever seen on the web. Where did the attack come from? From IP cameras connected to the internet. A relatively simple attack that made a big damage paralyzing the internet on United States west coast and several important web services.
Recently FBI has issued an alert about Smart TV's being hacked and spying you.
How this problem will be solved nobody knows yet but what is certain is that this type of attack tends to increase as the amount of connected devices on the internet increases.
I believe that a standard security protocol or process (protocol or firewall or validation process) should be developed and the companies will be invited to adopt in their devices. Unfortunately, this is another problem, there is no regulation that requires all manufacturers to follow a standard security, so each one does it on his way ... or simply does not.
Meanwhile we have fun with new useful features, and sometimes not so much, but running the risks that the internet offers to us.
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