The Future of the Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things or IoT remains a significant telecom trend. With 5G and other innovations, IoT’s remote capability access extends to data centers. The telecom industry will step up the adoption of IoT to reap the benefits of this technology. For instance, IoT lets companies remotely monitor base stations and data centers, identifying problems early and decreasing outages and downtime.

Since telecom companies act as carriers, this industry will play a critical role in deploying IoT solutions. As part of this role, the telecommunications industry is well-positioned to deliver the infrastructure needed to meet the growing IoT demand. Telecom companies stand to increase their revenue by implementing IOT billing models, which may disrupt the entire industry.

IoT devices are expected to grow by the billions in the next five years. Cybersecurity specialists will need to find innovative ways to deal with DDoS attacks that exploit weak security in current IoT devices, and whole cities may become smarter as the benefits and challenges of this technological sea-level change develop.

Growth of IoT Devices

By 2025, more than 21 billion IoT devices will communicate with one another and various networks over the internet, according to U.S. Norton. This quadruples the 2016 estimate of 4.7 billion connections to the Internet of Things. As early as 2021, nearly 12 billion things may be interconnected. This growth will bring unprecedented opportunities for corporations and individuals but security concerns must also be addressed.

DDoS Attacks on IoT Devices

Criminals have learned to use IoT devices to instigate Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks involve one or more computers bombarding a network with requests to infiltrate the network or shut it down. The first noted IoT DDoS attacks came in 2016 when malicious software infected security cameras, DVRs and other connected devices. In that case, the Mirai malware used default usernames and passwords to hack into devices and harass purchasers who didn’t change the default passwords.

Using open-source malware, the perpetrators used the compromised devices to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This flooded a website hosting company and brought down some sites for hours.

Smart Cities

Companies and whole cities can save time and money by adopting smart devices. Cities can automate a number of public services, including visitor kiosks in popular tourist areas. Video camera surveillance of bike and smart car rentals can track public assets without restricting use. Traffic cameras and signals can already be accessed to protect the public interest and more go online in cities and towns across the country every day.

AI and the Internet of Things

The commands, settings and other usage patterns of IoT devices can be collected and stored in the cloud. Smart home hubs make this easier than ever. For example, set up commands for voice-controlled devices could help identify your preferences. Machine learning puts these tendrils together to build an online profile of your wants and needs. This has both positive and negative connotations, depending on your desire for privacy.

With machine learning, computers “learn” without someone programming them. ML focuses on data received and adjusts based on these new inputs. You see this whenever Netflix suggests new movies and shows based on your past selection, for example. IoT devices provide rich context for ML applications.

Smarter, More Secure Routers

From a consumer standpoint, most IoT devices remain in the home. Many of these devices don’t include security software, making them susceptible to attacks. That may change in the future, but security isn’t currently a primary concern in getting products to market.

How can your home router help? Your router serves as the gateway for Internet connectivity in your home. Adding security on the router can protect you against cybercriminals attempting to exploit weak security on IoT devices to infiltrate your network and steal sensitive data. This doesn’t make up for weak security on connected devices, which should be addressed by manufacturers. However, you can add protection to the router to monitor threats at the Internet entry point. Many routers have some protection already, including firewalls, password protection, and controlling which devices can access your network.

Placing pressure on manufacturers to take stronger security precautions, ensuring that you change default passwords on cameras and other devices, and carefully selecting a home router with endpoint protection built-in can help you reduce the security concerns of embracing IoT devices at home.

Some of these same concerns face manufacturers, telecommunications providers, and other industries that are becoming increasingly more reliant on IoT devices for remote inputs for quality-control feedback, data collection, and outage prevention.

About the Author: Jeff Poirior

Jeff brings 25 years of telecommunications and information technology management experience in voice and data networking, server support, and telephony and security; with a significant emphasis on customer service. Prior to joining Valicom, he was chief of the infrastructure support section for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Jeff was the vice president of operations for CC&N, overseeing telecommunications, help desk, data and desk side support services. Prior to that, he served as the associate director of technical resources for Covance, responsible for managing systems and network operations supporting 1700 users in Wisconsin and Virginia. He has also led data center operations at Magnetek Electric, supporting mainframe systems, client/server applications, telephony systems, and computer-aided design. Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Phoenix. In addition, Jeff is a past board member of the Wisconsin Telecommunication Association.