Convenience with a Cost: The Internet of Things

We as a society are obsessed with information. We track health statistics through applications on smartphones that gather data from fitness trackers on our wrists. Our doorbells, garage doors, locks, air conditioners, and cameras compose a web of intelligence available in one location on laptops and tablets that can be controlled from miles outside the home. And, we can ask smart speakers to send groceries to our doorstep without pressing a button or entering information.

Each chain of data makes up what is called an Internet of Things (IoT). While the IoT brings great convenience and efficiency to our daily lives, it also carries the cost of vulnerability.

The IoT is composed of a group of sensors that collect information. The group of sensors—called a cluster—sends the information to an eUtility—a software or hardware product. From there, aggregators process the collection of data, and the information is managed based upon the operations specified by a decision trigger and relayed to some sort of output device.

Take Fitbit, for example. Sensors in the arm bracelet track movement throughout the day. This information is sent to a processor that calculates how many steps a user takes each day. Information about the user’s activity levels is sent to a smartphone or computer application, where the user can access it.

It is important to understand the IoT at its most basic structural level because each of these components (called a primitive) can individually be hacked. If someone were to install malware into just one vulnerable sensor, he or she may eventually access the entire system.

In the case of a linked home system with doorbells, video cameras, locks, lights, and air conditioning each accessible through a smartphone app, hackers may be able to unlock the house by installing malware into the air conditioning sensor and overloading the system.

While these systems make our lives much easier, they leave us open to data attacks if not managed properly. Contact RNT Professional Services to learn more about securing your IoT.