Internet Of Things - The new era (part 1 of 2)

Our topic today is the current trend in the world of technology, it’s a huge topic but I divided it to two parts, the first one is the definition of IoT and the second is the cyber security part, so let’s get it started.

The Internet of things (IoT) is the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles (also referred to as "connected devices" and "smart devices"), buildings, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity which enable these objects to collect and exchange data. The IoT allows objects to be sensed or controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit in addition to reduced human intervention. When IoT is augmented with sensors and actuators, the technology becomes an instance of the more general class of cyber-physical systems, which also encompasses technologies such as smart grids, virtual power plants, smart homes, intelligent transportation and smart cities. Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computing system but is able to interoperate within the existing Internet infrastructure.

Where the term IoT came from? In 2016, the vision of the Internet of things has evolved due to a convergence of multiple technologies, including ubiquitous wireless communication, real-time analytics, machine learning, commodity sensors, and embedded systems. This means that the traditional fields of embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, control systems, automation (including home and building automation), and others all contribute to enabling the Internet of things (IoT).

References you should know:

• Internet of Things device: Any stand-alone internet-connected device that can be monitored and/or controlled from a remote location.
• Internet of Things ecosystem: All the components that enable businesses, governments, and consumers to connect to their IoT devices, including remotes, dashboards, networks, gateways, analytics, data storage, and security.
• Entity: Includes businesses, governments, and consumers.
• Physical layer: The hardware that makes an IoT device, including sensors and networking gear.
• Network layer: Responsible for transmitting the data collected by the physical layer to different devices.
• Application layer: This includes the protocols and interfaces that devices used to identify and communicate with each other.
• Remotes: Enable entities that utilize IoT devices to connect with and control them using a dashboard, such as a mobile application. They include smartphones, tablets, PCs, smartwatches, connected TVs, and nontraditional remotes.
• Dashboard: Displays information about the IoT ecosystem to users and enables them to control their IoT ecosystem. It is generally housed on a remote.
• Analytics: Software systems that analyze the data generated by IoT devices. The analysis can be used for a variety of scenarios, such as predictive maintenance.
• Data storage: Where data from IoT devices is stored.
• Networks: The internet communication layer that enables the entity to communicate with their device, and sometimes enables devices to communicate with each other.

Where the IoT can be implemented?

Media:  The aim is of course to serve, or convey, a message or content that is (statistically speaking) in line with the consumer's mindset. For example, publishing environments are increasingly tailoring the messages (advertisements) and content (articles) to appeal to consumers that have been exclusively gleaned through various data-mining activities.

The media industries process big data in a dual, interconnected manner:

·        Targeting of consumers (for advertising by marketers)

·        Data-capture

Thus, the Internet of things creates an opportunity to measure, collect and analyze an ever-increasing variety of behavioral statistics. Cross-correlation of this data could revolutionize the targeted marketing of products and services.

Environmental monitoring: Environmental monitoring applications of the IoT typically use sensors to assist in environmental protection by monitoring air or water quality, atmospheric or soil conditions and can even include areas like monitoring the movements of wildlife and their habitats. Development of resource constrained devices connected to the Internet also means that other applications like earthquake or tsunami early-warning systems can also be used by emergency services to provide more effective aid. IoT devices in this application typically span a large geographic area and can also be mobile. It has been argued that the standardization IoT brings to wireless sensing will revolutionize this area.

Infrastructure management: Monitoring and controlling operations of urban and rural infrastructures like bridges, railway tracks, on- and offshore- wind-farms is a key application of the IoT. The IoT infrastructure can be used for monitoring any events or changes in structural conditions that can compromise safety and increase risk. It can also be used for scheduling repair and maintenance activities in an efficient manner, by coordinating tasks between different service providers and users of these facilities. IoT devices can also be used to control critical infrastructure like bridges to provide access to ships. Usage of IoT devices for monitoring and operating infrastructure is likely to improve incident management and emergency response coordination, and quality of service, up-times and reduce costs of operation in all infrastructure related areas. Even areas such as waste management can benefit from automation and optimization that could be brought in by the IoT.

Manufacturing: The IoT intelligent systems enable rapid manufacturing of new products, dynamic response to product demands, and real-time optimization of manufacturing production and supply chain networks, by networking machinery, sensors and control systems together.

Digital control systems to automate process controls, operator tools and service information systems to optimize plant safety and security are within the purview of the IoT.

Energy management: Integration of sensing and actuation systems, connected to the Internet, is likely to optimize energy consumption as a whole. It is expected that IoT devices will be integrated into all forms of energy consuming devices (switches, power outlets, bulbs, televisions, etc) and be able to communicate with the utility supply company in order to effectively balance power generation and energy usage. Such devices would also offer the opportunity for users to remotely control their devices, or centrally manage them via a cloud based interface, and enable advanced functions like scheduling (e.g., remotely powering on or off heating systems, controlling ovens, changing lighting conditions etc.)

Medical and healthcare: IoT devices can be used to enable remote health monitoring and emergency notification systems. These health monitoring devices can range from blood pressure and heart rate monitors to advanced devices capable of monitoring specialized implants, such as pacemakers, Fitbit electronic wristbands, or advanced hearing aids.  Specialized sensors can also be equipped within living spaces to monitor the health and general well-being of senior citizens, while also ensuring that proper treatment is being administered and assisting people regain lost mobility via therapy as well.

Building and home automation: IoT devices can be used to monitor and control the mechanical, electrical and electronic systems used in various types of buildings (e.g., public and private, industrial, institutions, or residential) in home automation and building automation systems. In this context, three main areas are being covered in literature:

·        The integration of the internet with building energy management systems in order to create energy efficient and IOT driven “smart buildings”.

·        The possible means of real-time monitoring for reducing energy consumption and monitoring occupant behaviors.

·        The integration of smart devices in the built environment and how they might be used in future applications

Transportation: The IoT can assist in integration of communications, control, and information processing across various transportation systems. Application of the IoT extends to all aspects of transportation systems (i.e. the vehicle, the infrastructure, and the driver or user). Dynamic interaction between these components of a transport system enables inter and intra vehicular communication, smart traffic control, smart parking, electronic toll collection systems, logistic and fleet management, vehicle control, and safety and road assistance.

Enabling technologies for IoT:

There are many technologies that enable IoT. Crucial to the field is the network used to communicate between devices of an IoT installation, a role that several wireless or wired technologies may fulfill:

Short-range wireless

·        Bluetooth low energy (BLE) – Specification providing a low power variant to classic Bluetooth with a comparable communication range.

·        Light-Fidelity (Li-Fi) – Wireless communication technology similar to the Wi-Fi standard, but using visible light communication for increased bandwidth.

·        Near-field communication (NFC) – Communication protocols enabling two electronic devices to communicate within a 4 cm range.

·        QR codes and barcodes – Machine-readable optical tags that store information about the item to which they are attached.

·        Radio-frequency identification (RFID) – Technology using electromagnetic fields to read data stored in tags embedded in other items.

·        Thread – Network protocol based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, similar to ZigBee, providing IPv6 addressing.

·        Transport Layer Security (network protocol)|TLS – Network security protocol.

·        Wi-Fi – Widely used technology for local area networking based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, where devices may communicate through a shared access point.

·        Wi-Fi Direct – Variant of the Wi-Fi standard for peer-to-peer communication, eliminating the need for an access point.

·        Z-Wave – Communication protocol providing short-range, low-latency data transfer at rates and power consumption lower than Wi-Fi. Used primarily for home automation.

·        ZigBee – Communication protocols for personal area networking based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, providing low power consumption, low data rate, low cost, and high throughput.

Medium-range wireless

·        HaLow – Variant of the Wi-Fi standard providing extended range for low-power communication at a lower data rate.

·        LTE-Advanced – High-speed communication specification for mobile networks. Provides enhancements to the LTE standard with extended coverage, higher throughput, and lower latency.

Long-range wireless

·        Low-power wide-area networking (LPWAN) – Wireless networks designed to allow long-range communication at a low data rate, reducing power and cost for transmission.

·        Very small aperture terminal (VSAT) – Satellite communication technology using small dish antennas for narrowband and broadband data.

·        Long-range Wi-Fi connectivity

Wired

·        Ethernet – General purpose networking standard using twisted pair and fiber optic links in conjunction with hubs or switches.

·        Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) – Specification enabling whole-home distribution of high definition video and content over existing coaxial cabling.

·        Power-line communication (PLC) – Communication technology using electrical wiring to carry power and data. Specifications such as HomePlug utilize PLC for networking IoT devices.

So with all this greatness there must be a catch, true?

Platform fragmentation: lack of technical standards a situation where the variety of IoT devices, in terms of both hardware variations and differences in the software running on them, makes the task of developing applications that work consistently between different inconsistent technology ecosystems hard. Customers may be hesitant to bet their IoT future on a proprietary software or hardware devices that uses proprietary protocols that may fade or become difficult to customize and interconnect.

The biggest issue about IoT is the security part, I will discuss this topic in my upcoming article but for now I will give the headlines to keep you in the loop:

Privacy threats are enormous, as is the potential for social control and political manipulation, some claims that these technologies are not only an invasion of public space but are also being used to perpetuate normative behavior, citing an instance of billboards with hidden cameras that tracked the demographics of passersby who stopped to read the advertisement. The privacy of households could be compromised by solely analyzing smart home network traffic patterns without dissecting the contents of encrypted application data, yet a synthetic packet injection scheme can be used to safely overcome such invasion of privacy. At the end all of your info will be collected and ad companies will even make more money tailoring ads for you. Concerns have been raised that the Internet of things is being developed rapidly without appropriate consideration of the profound security challenges involved and the regulatory changes that might be necessary. Most of the technical security issues are similar to those of conventional servers, workstations and smartphones, but the firewall, security update and anti-malware systems used for those are generally unsuitable for the much smaller, less capable, IoT devices. And let’s not forget the data storage issue, the storage of this bulk data. Depending on the application there could be high data acquisition requirements which in turn lead to high storage requirements.

In the end there is no escape that internet of things is the new hot topic in the world and everything leads that it’s the next big thing in the technology sector since researchers’ estimates that more than 30 billion devices will be wireless connected to the Internet of things by 2020.