IoT-Boon or Bane?

FREMONT, CA: Internet of Things (IoT) has become a widespread phenomenon across all industries, creating a world of unmatched convenience. From fitness, to travel, to home security, IoT is connecting human lives directly to computers and internet networks. By establishing seamless connectivity, IoT allows people to monitor homes from remote locations, track fitness progress and change routes while travelling using live navigation applications.

Although IoT advancement is thrilling, an overdose of this intuitive technology surely has a downside. For instance, who would like to connect every aspect of one’s life to the IoT? With the plethora of personally identifiable information and other data existing in the mobile devices IoT threatens one’s privacy and makes him/her vulnerable to cyberthreats. By connecting a personal device to the Internet or a computer server the data that is stored in the personal device gets shared and becomes vulnerable to cyberattack. For example, in the healthcare industry, IoT can cause a significant security issue as IoT devices handle patient’s treatment and medication regimens, monitor report or transmit information about their vitals or symptoms and medical records.

These challenges and threats that arise with the advent of IoT cannot be ignored despite the high level of convenience it brings in a person’s day to day living. IoT is witnessing broad adoption but this technology will only transform our life in a favorable manner when it is secured from exploitation.