There are many definitions out there about the Internet of Things or IoT. I will stick to the very basic one. IoT refers to the billions of physical devices around the world that are now connected to the internet, all collecting and sharing data. With the ease of access to technology and the internet these days almost everyone is now having a smartphone, laptop, or desktop at their homes. With the ease of access to all this and to the internet we all are now connected to each other.
So, you must be now reading this either on your smartphone, or maybe your laptop or desktop. It is definitely connected to the internet, and the internet is an awesome thing. With access to the internet you have access to so many things. You can listen to music, watch videos, stream a live match on the other side of the world on your phone or laptop. Internet Of Things is simply taking all the things in the world and connecting them to the internet.
A device can mainly do two things, collect data or receive data and act on it. So with the internet of things we can use all the devices that are around us, connect them, and use them to either collect data, receive data or do both. For example, a very popular product these days is google home or Alexa. They do the same thing bringing Artificial Intelligence together with IOT. They connect various things in your home like a smart light bulb, your TV and all other things and gives you access to control them. With your voice, you can now control so many things.
Security is one the biggest issues with the IOT. These sensors are collecting in many cases extremely sensitive data — what you say and do in your own home, for example. Keeping that secure is vital to consumer trust, but so far the IOT’s security track record has been extremely poor. Too many IOT devices give little thought to the basics of security. With all those sensors collecting data on everything you do, the IoT is a potentially vast privacy and security headache.
Take the smart home for example. It can tell when you wake up, how well you brush your teeth with the data from the smart toothbrush, what music you listen, what type of food you eat with data from smart oven and smart fridge, and who visits you and passes by your house with the data from the smart doorbell. So as it adds some comfort and makes your life easy and well connected, it still has a long way to go when it comes to the privacy and security of your data.
The ultimate goal of the Internet of Things is to bring intelligent, actionable connectivity to devices beyond traditional computers, tablets, and smartphones. Such connectivity can bring greater flexibility, manageability, security, and functionality to devices ranging from roadbed sensors and door locks to conference rooms and kitchens. The Internet of Things is making the fabric of the world around us smarter and more responsive, merging the digital and physical universes.
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