In my first post of A2Z series, a reader had asked for a post on the Internet of Things and here it is… On the 9th day, I am writing about the A2Z of Internet of Things. Yesterday, the entire world celebrated IoT Day 2019. The Internet of Things, commonly abbreviated “IoT,” is an ecosystem of objects that are accessible through the Internet. This includes physical devices and everyday objects. These objects contain embedded processors, sensors and modem. These devices share the data with each other by connecting to an IoT gateway.

For a device to be a part of the IoT ecosystem, it must be able to collect data and communicate with other IoT-enabled devices. IoT devices collect data with the help of the built-in sensor. Hence, they are also called ‘Smart devices”. Most of the IoT devices uses WiFi to connect to the Internet. Since they are connected to the Internet, you can control them from remote locations – via App or web portal. You can switch on the lights of your room before you step in. A light with automated sensors can adjust the intensity of the light and can even switch off, when not required. Similarly, a security camera with a motion detector can alert you if they sense something suspicious.

A2Z of Internet of Things: Application, Security and Future

There are numerous real-world applications of the Internet of Things, ranging from consumer to industrial usage. A large portion of the IoT devices is used for consumer use – Smart Home, Smart vehicles and wearable technology. With the introduction of IoT, one can closely monitor the condition of the patient. In Smart cities, IoT based devices can help in conserving energy, address pollution and other environmental issues.

IoT is an ecosystem that connects billions of device to the Internet. This raises privacy and security-related concerns. A small manipulation in the system (by hackers) can lead to catastrophic results, including making it unusable. You can imagine the impact if an attack takes place in ‘Smart city systems’. The second concern is privacy. These devices collect your personal data. Privacy of the users could be compromised by analysing the collected data.

While the Internet of Things is still in its infancy, it provides promising opportunities for the future. A lot of tech giants are investing heavily in IoT. IoT is the future but the manufacturers must address privacy and security issues.