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Internet of Things – Global Issues Report

Ricardo A. Lopez Iglesias

The University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

The internet of things, a fast growing industry that provides “smart” solutions both to

domestic households and private sector industries. Throughout the report the pros and cons

would be reviewed for both end user cases. Where the pros are visited and discussed, great

benefits could be observed, providing examples of practical functions where IoT is implemented,

and how big of an impact does its implementation could create. In the other hand the cons are

visited as well, where network security gets threatened by the lack of security measures in the

vast majority of the known smart devices. All great new technologies always provide great

opportunities for innovation, but there could always exist a bad side of all good things. It is a

technology that requires more research in order to be fully deployed, but always taking into

consideration to counter attack all possible security issues.

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Internet of Things – Global Issues Report

The term “Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the trendiest buzzwords in the technology

world now a days. It is used to define the free flow of information amongst a variety of

electronic devices, either low power or high power, that utilize the Internet to communicate

between each other. Analyzing how fast it has been evolving, it is predicted that it will be widely

deployed in different aspects of life. Not to mention, the continuous exploration of new domains

and new applications of this technology has generated big interest, and organizations are looking

forward to the monetary value full deployment could bring to the table. In the other hand, cyber

security experts have expressed their concerns on the matter of security and privacy, limiting its

rapid implementation. In this paper we would review the cons and the pros of this relatively new

technology, both in the industry and in the domestic market, paying specific attention in the

security and privacy of the end users. More importantly, if society takes no action towards

identifying a solution to these concerns, we could be facing a cybersecurity issue in a near future.

In order to start digging into the applications we have to understand the current presence

compare to what how it was in prior years, this way, could have picture the exponential grow in

its implementation. According to Gartner, a reputable and trusted technology advisor in 2016

there were 3,963 millions of units in place by end consumers, in 2018 there were 7,036 millions

of units and they provide a forecast of 12,863 millions of units by 2020. With this being said we

could only assure that there is no slowing doing in the implementation of the technology.

What are the IoT benefits for domestic use?

In the present days we are constantly looking for new domains where IoT could

implement new applications. With this being said, lets dig deeper in the current applications

already deployed for domestic use, in simpler words where are we currently using this
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technology in our day to day. Furthermore, here some examples of current devices already

available for public consumption; Setting your fridge to order new groceries for delivery when

you run out of food or expiration date has passed. An oven could be turn of from your phone

anywhere in the world, meaning no more worrying about the fact that you could have forgotten

to turn it off. The lights could be controlled directly from your electronic device, or even a

schedule could be set up to achieve better consumption of electricity, lowering your electricity

bill. The thermostat could be programmed or manipulated from your electronic device, allowing

you to turn on or off your air conditioner, this way you could save money. The IoT show us a

promising environment in our homes, offices and vehicles by making them smarter. All these

home improvements are achievable thanks to the deployment of Internet of things for domestic

use.

What are the IoT benefits for the Industry?

Even though plenty of these modern applications are designed and developed considering

the general public as end users for domestic applications, there exists a rich market of

applications specifically design for the Industry. In these modern days there are multiple

applications that you can already see in place, completely deployed, up and running, already

providing incredible improvements for the operation process. These creates new opportunities

for all different market, which could beneficiate a lot of companies willing to utilize this new

technology. The reasons why companies opt to apply this new technology for their operations are

plenty like greater energy efficiency, predictive maintenance, higher product quality. To mention

only a few. Some of the constant applications you hear being utilized in the manufacturing

industry are smart sensors. The application of smart sensors throughout the manufacturing

industry has made possible the automation of manufacturing process that used to required special
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manned operations, that where costly to the companies due to the special training required to

develop the special skills needed for the special process. This is just one simple example of the

multiple operations that are constantly being improved thanks to the implementation of smart

sensors and devices in Industry. Thus, big brand companies are constantly improving their

processes, meaning that they are obtaining a better return from their investments in an expedited

manner.

What are the cons of IoT in domestic use?

Although the multiple use cases already in the market for domestic use have had an

incredible response by consumers, constantly looking for a “smarter” way to do things, in this

case making their houses, cars, and offices smarter by implementing their smart devices, there

are a great amount of concerns when it comes to privacy and security. Having a great amount of

options when it comes to smart devices, starting from a vast options of brands and

manufacturers, including some unknown brands that you could obtained from multiple e-

commerce websites. With this being said, it is not guaranteed that all manufacturers put in place

any security measures in their devices. Furthermore, even with known brands it is not guaranteed

that the measurements put in place to preventing any unwanted access to your network would

entirely work. To emphasize the importance of a barrier against a possible infiltrator, it is

important to mention the possible consequences of a vulnerable a household and how this smart

devices could allow a cyber-attack. To provide a better picture of the importance of the security

measures that every end user should take to maintain a secure profile for their household, there

are multiple bad situations an end user could face if their network is infiltrated. Some of the most

common cyber-attacks could be a hacking into the network, becoming a victim of a ransom

attack (an extortion, where the hacker request monetary compensation for the access back of the
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users data) to the end user or getting infected by a virus that could infiltrate and destroy entire

network. This attacks could be very harmful to an end user, could affect you from your social

life, like getting your data stolen and made public, all the way to financially, such as having to

pay the hacker in order to obtain your data back. The IoT smart devices could make it easier for

hackers or computer experts to infiltrate your network.

What are the cons of IoT in the Industry?

In the same way, the private industry could be equally affected by the security risks that

these new technology impose. These smart devices become unsafe gateways to the complete

networks if not properly handle. Not to mention that all the measures put in place to provide safe

and secure networks are sometimes not enough for preventing a cyber-attack. In addition now

that new smart devices are connected to the private networks that means more means of

possibilities open for a variety of different attacks. Though this is a known issue that this modern

new technology comes with, instead of stopping its march, it is only slowing down the full

deployment of all applications, since more research and development takes place to avoid all this

unwanted vulnerabilities. To mention one of the most popular known cases where the private

industry got affected by an infiltration through a smart device is the famously know attacked to

the Mirai Casino in Las Vegas, where the data was accessed through their fish tank thermometer,

since this thermometer was a smart device connected to their network. This smart thermometer

provided the casino with a better functionality to the casino’s management and personnel, but it

provided a gateway for someone who knew what to do and how to make it possible. This is only

one example of the risks that pose the implementation of these vulnerable devices. With this

being said, companies have to measure and compare the pros and cons of the implementation of

internet connected devices into their processes, and not only in the manufacturing industry, but
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all known private sector companies. What could be seen as a great opportunity for improvement

and enlargement in revenue, could become an actual financial nightmare.

With pros and cons being reviewed in both domestic and industry end use, It is safe to

take part on the discussion of continuing with the deployment of new devices or if it better to

place the development of this new technology in a stop. The best approach would not be to

freeze research and development of new devices but to emphasize in placing better and safer

products in the market that would not impose the risks that the current devices have. One of the

main reasons why we are facing these difficulties are due to the capitalist way of thinking, where

companies majorly focus on performance and usability of IoT gadgets but ignoring the security

measures and encryption mechanisms, which is the reason of why their products are routinely

vulnerable to being hacked. The development and implementation of IoT must continue, since

constant improvement is part of the modern known life. Although security must be a primary

focus for all the companies in this business.