When it comes to the Internet of things, we all seem to be walking around in the honeymoon phase of our relationship with the Internet and all things technology. The media explodes with announcements of the iPhone 7 and smart TVs as society waits with excitement and anticipation to see what’s next. We are starting a new chapter of our life together, happily hitched to our technology devices and completely oblivious to the struggle and hardships that we are destined to face after so many years of marriage.
Let’s stay in the honeymoon phase as long as we can. After all, the internet of things has made our lives a whole lot easier, and quite frankly more fun. Not to mention it has also provided a broad spectrum of opportunities that have yet to even be developed. In regards to the future, the internet of things could not only be beneficial to the daily function of businesses, but may prove to provide jobs in the market as well. To reaffirm our naïve oblivion, a study conducted in 2014 by AVG Technologies, an online security company, reports that while 46% of business owning respondents agreed that the internet of things will mean spending more time dealing with security hacks, 83% said that human error would be more likely to be of concern than smart devices. Granted that this data is from 2014, I think it is still safe to say that many have not considered the privacy and security risks that come with the future of internet implications.
The problem with utilizing a technology where devices are interconnected occurs when data is shared, sometimes intentionally but other times it can happen even without human knowledge. Problems with data sharing can affect our personal privacy, safety, and even the economy. In a presentation about privacy challenges, Kate Carruthers brings up a good point, “When your credit card gets stolen, the bank grantees that you won’t lose any money. But what if it’s your health data?” (personal communication, June 26, 2015). Privacy regarding your health information is a basic American right, yet there is no source or institution available to delete or prevent with certainty that that information won’t be released. She continues by stating that even the world’s largest corporations with the best IT department, such as JP Morgan, are prone to hacks and data breaches. If this isn’t cause for concern for the future, I don’t know what is.
Along with sheer privacy, the future of the smart devices could potentially affect the safety of its users. An article from the International Data Privacy Law cites Europol (2014) by saying ‘With more objects being connected to the Internet and the creation of new types of critical infrastructure, we can expect to see (more) targeted attacks on existing and emerging infrastructures, including new forms of blackmailing and extortion schemes (e.g., ransomware for smart cars or smart homes), data theft, physical injury and possible death, and new types of botnets’(Maras, 2015).
Looking to the future, I don’t believe that we will ever divorce our smart devices, but I do foresee problems in security along the way. Until developers can begin to design devices with security in mind, I think we all need to take monitor and take precautions to decrease the chances of our personal data reaching the wrong hands.
References
Carruthers, K. (2015) Personal Communication Presentation
Europol (2014) ‘The Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment’, European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), 62.
Maras, M. (2015). Internet of things: Security and privacy implications.International Data Privacy Law, 5(2), 99-104.
Study reveals small businesses positive about internet of things (2014). Internet Business News.
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