Internet of Things: the Pros and Cons
There really is a case to be made for the Internet of Things (IoT): if all our devices, from our kettles, to our watches, to our musical instruments are connected to the internet, transmitting and receiving data, we can augment those devices, as well as our own experiences with them, in incredible ways. Smart watches already show the power of IoT, as they collect immense biometric data about us, so we can better ourselves physically and mentally. They can radically simplify our lives, and make them much more convenient. All our devices would ‘know’ us, our preferences: our exact routine in the morning, what temperature we like our shower, how hot we like our coffee, our preferred path to work, and beyond. All this data would also allow manufacturers and suppliers a greater understanding of how their products are used, as well as a more intimate relationship with their consumers in case of repairing a product or resolving an issue.
However, with all this convenience, of course, comes some serious security vulnerabilities. After all, there will always be bad actors trying to manipulate these connected devices, and it was just this scenario that played out in the Mirai botnet attack. In this attack, millions of these IoT devices were used to launch a DDoS attack against Microsoft game servers. Because they were less secure, it was easy to gain access to them using one of the most common default combos of username and password. This incident led to many asking who exactly is at fault here: could the culpability be placed on the manufacturers who never changed their passwords? The consumers for not doing so? The government for allowing such an overt security vulnerability to go unnoticed? Suddenly, the IoT utopia that we hear constantly doesn’t seem quite so pleasant.
Another aspect that should be considered with the proliferation of IoT is the immense data that is produced from these devices. After all, all the value of IoT devices is generated from their ability to gather data, and leverage this data somehow to help either the consumer or the producer in some tangible way. It is therefore important to discuss who owns this data, and whether consumers have the right to protect this data and not share it. In a world where data is king, it is imperative that we know clearly how much data we are truly sharing, and how much we actually want to share.
IoT devices bring great value to our lives. They can make entire cities more vibrant, and can assist our individual lives countless times in countless ways. There is definitely a case to be made as to the simplicity of a smart, connected future, in which we can seamlessly integrate all the products in our lives to better serve us. With all this minified technology however, we must consider how much oversight the government can or should have — given the explosion of IoT, should there be more checks in place to help maintain a sense of security and quality? As IoT continues to evolve and proliferate, so too will this question, side by side.
