IoT

Who will govern IoT?

In 2020 there was a “IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020” signed

into the law. This means that every government agency requires to sign
this act to ensure their security. Going forward manufacturers will always
have to provide proof that their devices are secured and safe for everyone
to use. Many of the IoT devices are being used in our daily lives but with
opportunities also come risks. These devices are expanding the surface of
being attacked by cybercriminals. “For example, attackers can use search
engines to locate devices connected to the internet -- a function intended
for infosec professionals but widely used by criminals. The attackers can
then find unprotected IoT devices, exploit their weaknesses and get into a
network to steal data or cause other damage.” (Foomany, 2021)
To lower the risk of these threats, every company that sells IoT products
will need to have a compliance program to ensure the customer of safe and
secure products.

What are lawmakers doing today?

“Australia has some regulations regarding IoT. For example every IoT
device should have the following: Changeable, non-guessable, non-default
passwords. Ports also shouldn’t be exposed to the wider internet. And
lastly there should be regular software updates to fix vulnerabilities.
The US also has some regulations such as, Devices must be patchable,
rely on industry standard protocols, and be built without hard-coded
passwords and known security vulnerabilities. Alternative network-level
security requirements for devices with limited data processing and software
functionality. And Cybersecurity coordinated vulnerability disclosure
policies will be required of all contractors that provide connected devices to
the U.S. Government.” (Fong, 2021)

What’s the biggest risk associated with the Internet of Things?

In this interesting article written by the organization SecurityScorecard we
can look at 7 IoT threats and vulnerabilities that everyone who uses IoT
products should be aware of.
The first thing they mention is ‘The lack of physical hardening.’ This means
that we can’t always protect or monitor our devices in case of a security
breach. Hackers can easily access your devices without you knowing and
that’s a big problem. Secondly data storages and the transfer of data is
extremely dangerous of potential breaches. These breaches are possible
because there is a lack of encryption and access controls before your data
is entered into the IoT system. You can potentially make this more secure
by using firewalls and network access controls. The third reason is the lack
of visibility. It’s very hard for the regular population to see or to monitor all
of our devices. Hackers can change things without us knowing.
The forth reason is something called ‘botnets.’ “Botnets are a series of
internet-connected devices that are created to steal data, compromise
networks, or send spam. Botnets contain malware that allows the attacker
to access the IoT device and its connection to infiltrate an organization's
network, becoming one of the top threats for businesses.” (SecurityScorecard,
2021)
The fifth reason is a very simple one, people have bad and easy to guess
passwords with little variation. It is important that you have multiple
passwords for multiple things. Never use an important password for
something not important.
The sixth reason is the use of APIs. ApIs are used to connect two apps with
each other. This means they have to connect via both servers. This can be
breached by hackers and is a serious threat to the IoT business.
The seventh and final reason that is stated in this article is, AI- based
attacks. Hackers have evolved and are now able to make AI-powered tools
that are smarter, faster than humans. (SecurityScorecard, 2021)

Who is going to benefit from it?

There are multiple reasons. The first reason is it simply reduces costs for
companies. Maintenance cost are positively impacted because of IoT
devices. They reduce waste and loss of heat which reduces the costs.
Repairs on IoT devices is also much cheaper and faster! One of the most
important things is that it makes every process more reliable and more
efficient. A study by Aruba found that 46% of businesses that adopted IoT
strategies experienced efficiency gains, despite the fact that only 29%
expected such gains in the first place. (Aruba, n.d.)
“While many businesses strive to access the revenue-producing power of
digital services, most lack a cohesive strategy for pursuing this avenue. IoT
is a game-changer in this respect, as advanced analytics, artificial
intelligence, and smart utility grids make it easy for SMBs to collect
actionable data needed to provide the value their customers are seeking.
These analytics provide new insights that are not only being utilized to
create new business models, but completely redefining traditional
industries.” (Dunlap, 2021)

What effect will the internet of things (IoT) have on our daily lives?

“We are surrounded by technologies that are transforming the way we live.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is taking form, growing with each day, and
promises to bring a new era to our daily life. With billions of things
connected, it opens up endless possibilities for innovation in every aspect
of the modern technological society.” (Sahu, 2021)

“In the new Industrial Internet of Things, vast amounts of data from
machines, plants, and entire factories will be combined with software that
quickly identifies patterns and anomalies. As a result, the IoT will make
manufacturing of all kinds more efficient, from consumer goods to machine
tools to cars and medical devices. It will enable the mass customization of
products. And it will make a wide range of services more affordable, from
predictive maintenance to new kinds of predictive monitoring for people.”
(Sahu, 2021)
(Image: Statista) (IoT to Hit Mainstream in 2020, n.d.)

A graph I found very interesting, as you can see in the past few years we
have invested so much more money in IoT it is definitely becoming very big
and will grow even bigger in the future as the technology of IoT devices is
only getting better and more secure. (IoT to Hit Mainstream in 2020, n.d.)
Will it impact sustainability?

“Improving air quality, reducing energy consumption, and reducing waste

are just a few examples of how IoT devices can drive sustainability. There
are a lot of other examples in how IoT helps, such as with smart water
management and smart agriculture. (Mustonen, 2022)

These examples are related to the #3, #7 and #9 Sustainable Development

Goals, “Good health and wellbeing”, “Affordable and clean energy”, and
”Industry, innovation and infrastructure” respectively.” (Mustonen, 2022)

The environmental footprint of IoT devices is important to take a look at.

Big companies should make these IoT devices with an environmental
sustainable process. This way the companies are minimizing the waste and
impact on the environment. They also have a way of conserving natural
resources when recycling things of old devices. When a company is setting
up their supply change these factors should always be accounted for: Place
of company, storage, materials and waste.

A good example of IoT having a positive effect on the environment is the

ability to have ‘Smart Water Management devices.’
“According to MIT Researchers, more than 50% of the world’s population
will be living in water-stressed regions by 2050. It’s therefore vital that
individuals, companies and municipalities find ways to reduce the amount
of water wasted annually. On average 85% of properties waste 35% of their
water consumption by means of leaks. At the municipal level, pipe leaks
can account for 20-30% of total drinking water. In addition, when factoring
in the flood mitigation system, one to two tonnes of material waste per
square meter is produced from demolition due to floods. This also makes
mitigating water loss essential to reducing the waste that goes into landfill
as a result of floods.” (Senior, 2021)

“Advances in IoT sensors and wireless connectivity have dramatically

lowered the cost of gathering, storing and analyzing data from specific
equipment, like pumps or valves, or entire processes like water treatment
or irrigation. Sensors can monitor fill levels, control the quality water and be
used to detect leaks. For example, by installing leak detection sensors in
high-risk areas throughout a building or plant, facility managers can be
alerted upon the very first sign of a leak allowing them to take remedial
action. Taken a step further, hooking this data into a building management
system enables automated responses like shutting off the supply valve or
HVAC equipment.” (Senior, 2021)

Reflection

This assignment was in my opinion the most interesting one just because
learning about the different applications and way we already use IoT in our
daily life is incredible. And it’s only getting bigger and better. When I’m a bit
older I want to have a smart house so learning about these things is very
informative and helpful for the future. I also want to have my own business
one day and IoT and sustainability are two important factors in starting a
business or having a new business idea. Finding new information through
different sources is definitely a good learning way because you really have
to find your own sources and look if they are reliable.

Bibliography

Aruba. (n.d.). Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Http://Engage.Arubanetworks.Com/.

http://engage.arubanetworks.com/LP_REG_510245507_510245507_ARUBA_WW_EN-

US/

Dunlap, S. (2021, December 16). 5 Benefits of the Internet of Things for SMBs. Impact

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 things-for-

smbs/#:%7E:text=IoT%20is%20a%20boon%20for,Improved%20job%20satisfaction/

Fong, J. (2021, October 18). Should the Government Regulate IoT Devices? IEEE Innovation at

Work. https://innovationatwork.ieee.org/should-government-regulate-iot/

Foomany, F. H. (2021, August 11). IoT legislation device manufacturers need to know about.

SearchCIO. https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/post/IoT-legislation-device-

manufacturers-need-to-know-about/

IoT to hit mainstream in 2020. (n.d.). [Graph]. Statista.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/01/6-ways-the-internet-of-things-is-improving-

our-lives/

Mustonen, J. (2022, January 25). Sustainability in IoT - is it environmentally sound? Haltian.

https://haltian.com/resource/sustainability-in-

iot/#:%7E:text=Improving%20air%20quality%2C%20reducing%20energy,water%20ma

nagement%20and%20smart%20agriculture./

Sahu, S. (2021, December 23). IoT Day: Internet of Things and its impact on the day to day life.

Visionify. https://visionify.ai/internet-of-things-its-impact-on-the-day-to-day-life/

SecurityScorecard. (2021, November 10). 7 Internet of Things Threats and Risks to Be Aware of.

https://securityscorecard.com/blog/internet-of-things-threats-and-risks/
Senior, C. (2021, May 11). IoT and Sustainability: 7 Applications for a Greener Planet.

BehrTech. https://behrtech.com/blog/iot-and-sustainability-7-applications-for-a-greener-

planet/