monitoring, drug delivery and management are two significant applications of IoT in the health sector. In addition, artificial intelligence( AI) and machine learning and sensor driven computing are becoming two well-liked areas of applications of IoT. DATA AND SECURITY- CHALLENGES IoT has already set a new rule for the future;“ Anything that can be connected – will be connected”. On the other hand, this raises a question about the security of the data that we exchange. It is common knowledge that an enormous amount of data is transferred online every second as you read this. Ultimately, we are left with the question“ Who owns the data?”. Is it the device or the user? Is it the owner or the manufacturer of the device? If we look back at the restrictions imposed on digital publishing, we come across Digital Rights Management( DRM). DRM has been around since the beginning of digital publishing and is essentially copyright protection for digital media. And interestingly, it seems quite possible to reuse most of the approaches found in DRM and to apply them to IoT data issues.“ If you have a promiscuous sensor in a smart city, a Digital Rights Management contract [ will say ]‘ I actually own the rights and I allow you to use it under the following terms’. It’ s actually a pretty good methodology for controlling some of this,” says Andy Mulholland. However, with a lot of outstanding benefits, there are a number of challenges that this concept has to face. The biggest challenge of all is security and data protection. With billions of internet enabled devices connected together, what could guarantee or ensure the safety of the multitude of information that is exchanged every single second? Can these systems be hacked? Obviously, this exposes companies to more security threats than ever. Companies have now realized that security of the information they exchange must be considered more seriously. The main reason behind the insecurity is the absence of clear and agreed architectures for building the connected systems. Sources say that Intel’ s DK300 Series Gateway allows its users to securely analyze, share and filter encrypted data that passes between devices. With the data protocol being secured, or at least with an additional layer of protection, it now falls to businesses taking relevant steps to protect customer data. Different devices have different levels of data security encryptions. They might have different wireless protocols too. One device may use Zig-Bee while all the others will rely on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Bridges to connect across all these options will escalate in no time. WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED? However, under these circumstances, there are steps that can be taken to bring order to the disorder that the IoT generates itself. Common methodology that has been accepted so far to overcome the many challenges faced by IoT are:- agreement on system architecture- development of open standards reflecting the best architectural choices- creation of a test bed where best practices can be designed and perfected It should be noted that IoT can go way beyond smart home energy meters and smart cities. Services like the NHS( National Health Service) of the UK could vastly benefit from IoT functionality. Even at an administration level, the NHS can relay vital information to patients and doctors saving time and money. Research Gartner Inc. DHL and Cisco Systems offer even higher estimates. Their 2015 trend report sets the current number of connected devices at about 15 billion; amidst industry expectations, the tally will increase to 50 billion by 2020.
Source: www. internetsociety. org
Despite all these pros and cons that go hand in hand, IoT is still a hot topic of conversation which opens a pathway to a“ connected” world. While everybody is getting busy making improvements to IoT in future, 2015 will be remembered as the Year of the Internet of Things— the tipping point during which IoT emerged from the back rooms of the technology world to become a cornerstone.
NAVEENA AMANDANI JAYARATHNE Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering( Third Year)
References:
1. Christina Mercer.( 2015). What is the Internet of Things? Everything you need to know about IoT. [ Online ] Available at: http:// www. techworld. com / big-data / what-is-internetof-things-3631109 / [ Accessed on September 09th, 2016 ] 2. Knud Lasse Lueth.( n. d.). The top 15 Internet of Things cities in the world. [ Online ] Available at: https:// iot-analytics. com / top-15-internet-of-things-cities / [ Accessed on September 09th, 2016 ] 3. Sanjay Sarma.( 2016). The Internet of Things: Roadmap to a connected world. [ Online ] Available at: https:// www. technologyreview. com / s / 601013 / the-internet-ofthings-roadmap-to-a-connected-world / [ Accessed on September 09th, 2016 ]
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