Top 5 Critical Issues Facing Internet of Things

The Internet of Things commonly referred to as IoT,  is a complex system of interrelated computing devices, digital and mechanical machines or objects that are provided with identifiers and the unique ability to transfer data via a network without the need for human-to-computer or human-to-human interactions. The IoT is among the most significant technological trends in the world today. A combination of innovations in communication and computing fields, IoT and its devices are poised to revolutionize user-machine interaction as well as the way in which the machines engage with each other.

We’ve already started to see permeation of the IoT into several market sectors. One sector where we see the diffusion is in industries. As a matter of fact, automotive, healthcare, energy and other industries have started to grapple with IoT, where devices like mixing tanks, insulin pumps, sensors, and robots are becoming more connected.

For any business model, venturing into Internet of Things is a great move in the evolving digital atmosphere that we live in today. It’s expected that IoT, an ever-growing trend among entrepreneurs and startups alike, will expand from a few million devices to billions of devices over the coming years, impacting nearly everything from business standards and security to basic infrastructure.

However, along with opportunities that this trend springs, IoT also brings its set of challenges. Below are five challenges facing the Internet of Things:

1. Security

Security is a critical issue on the Internet, and it’s arguably the main challenge for The Internet of Things. IoT is expected to connect a wide range of devices to the Web. As such, there are high chances of malware penetrating your systems or data.

As you increase the number of the connected devices to the Web, the number of opportunities for exploiting vulnerabilities through poorly designed devices might expose the users’ data to theft more so when data streams are not left with adequate protection. In some instances, it might even harm the health and safety of people. Remember, there are many threats, and the Zika virus isn’t the only threat on the Web.

There are also many IoT deployments that have collections of identical or near-identical devices. This usually magnifies the impact of any given security vulnerability by the total number of devices with the same characteristics. To deal with all these challenges, there’s need for a collaborative approach to Web security. Many users will have to compare the cost incurred against the security, which is closely-related to the mass scale deployment of IoT devices.

There are also some users who have opted for HTTPS migration. The Internet is progressively becoming a very scary place to operate in. Worms, ghostware, viruses, jailbreaking, bots and many other forms of hacking techniques have evolved. As such, Google, the most popular search engine in the world, has taken security seriously, and it has devised a campaign known as ‘HTTPS everywhere’ so as to make security a default feature.

The future of the Internet is meant to be safer, and HTTPS migration will certainly pave the way for a safe Web environment. Each and every website that wants to get high ranking in the search engine should have HTTPS encryption. In the long run, HTTPS migration will not only increase security, but it will also serve as a tool for improving the search engine ranking, And for HTTPS migration SSL Certificate is essential. Purchase of SSL Certificate is done according to the business requirements. For example, an eCommerce businesses needs to secure its website with Extended Validation SSL Certificate as it displays companies name in the green address bar which helps to gain the trust of customers. As EV SSL Certificate is quite costly you can use coupon codes and discounts offered on SSL Certificate. In the same way for small or start-up business a Domain Validation or Organization Validation Certificate will do. If initially, they don’t want to invest huge money SSL Certificate they can also go for a free trial or can opt for a nominal plan according to the requirements and can also grab offers available on them. With the installation of  a SSL Certificate, HTTPS migration becomes easy.

2. Data Management

Let’s just be clear: there’s no IoT without data. Data is the industry’s petrol, and it should be kept safe and well-managed to ensure users get maximum benefit from everything that IoT has to offer.

In a world where all things are connected, you can be assured there is a lot of data floating around. However, there’s always a risk of the data being stolen, misused or the possibility of the service providers not being in a position to cope with so much information being created 24/7.

There are data centers for storing this data, and the old data center’s system has been converted through virtualization. However, even though the latest model is not bad, companies have already started to look at the next big thing: the cloud. As a result, large-scale data deployment might lead to users being confused between copyrights and data ownership.

Just like the nuisance calls that we usually get on a day-to-day basis, service providers shall have to work hard to keep the data away from unauthorized parties. Just try to imagine your refrigerator sending you an advertisement alert to your mobile phone about discounted ice trays. This issue will becomea reality if the databases aren’t kept safe.

3. Emerging Economy and Development Issues

The Internet of Things offers an excellent platform to enable social development in many societies across the world.  The proliferation of Internet services across the many sections of the society in developing countries along with lowering costs of sensors and microprocessors will make IoT devices accessible even to low-income households.

However, many shortcomings are related to the enablement of high-speed Internet and the basic technology service architecture for business and commercial usage in developing countries. Unless a basic infrastructure is put in place, the devices won’t be of any value to the users.

The wider scope of IoT challenges isn’t going to be confined to the industrialized countries. As a matter of fact, IoT promises a lot when it comes to delivering social and economic benefits for developing economies. Just like the rest of the world, less-developed areas will have to address the technical skill requirements, market readiness, and policy requirements so as to take full advantage of IoT potential.

4. Privacy

IoT presents unique challenges regarding privacy, and this goes far beyond data privacy issues that exist at the moment. Much of this is mainly due to the trouble of having to integrate devices into different environments without using them consciously. The problem is becoming even more prevalent with consumer devices like tracking devices for phones, cars, and smart TVs as well. As time goes by, your TV will be more intelligent than you.

In this age of big data, there arises a debate on who owns the data – are they the manufacturers, devices or the people who operate distribution networks? There has never been a comprehensive answer to this question. Even as the debate rages on, devices are still busy tracking how users are using them. For example, your Smartphone automatically knows the route that you prefer to use. Almost all devices use the Internet thus passing on lots of private information to bigger companies, which isn’t altogether desirable. The IoT only serves to amplify the trend.

5. Business Model

It’s important to build business models and strategies around IoT as you strive to keep up with the pace of digital evolution. Many existing businesses shall find it more challenging because their current business models and strategies have to be reconstructed heavily for them to accommodate new things like IoT into their daily workings. New companies that already have a leg in technology shall find it a little bit easier. However, the IoT integration process will be laborious for some. Furthermore, it will have to be examined carefully. This will also lead to the heightened resource requirements, something startups will find a lot harder as compared to large enterprises.

Conclusion

With so many changes cropping up daily in the digital ecosphere, big and small businesses have to evolve continuously. Strategies require rethinking, and there’s more forethought required to stay abreast of all trends. Furthermore, the time is nigh for the rapid adaptation to Internet of Things. As seen in this article, many challenges are posed by IoT but tackling them needs time. This is not something companies can hasten to do if they want to remain profitable. Nonetheless, slow but gradual steps taken in an attempt to tackle red alert areas like privacy and connectivity can ensure the eventual success of Internet of Things.

The future depends on interconnected devices but how we manage these devices will ultimately decide how our digital future will be shaped.

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