What is IoT?
The Internet evolved in a way that we could never have imagined. At first, progress was slow. Today, innovation and communication are happening at high speed.
Today, the Internet provides global connections that make web browsing, social media, and smart mobile devices possible.
Evolution of the Internet
- Conectivity: digitalizing the information process (E-mail, Navigator web, Search)
- Economy: digitize the process in companies (E-commerce,)
- Experience: digitize interactions (Social netwoks, Streaming, Vide Conference)
- IOT: digitize the world (People, Data, Objects)
In a very short time, the Internet radically changed the way we work, live, play and learn. However, this is just the beginning.
Internet of things(IOT) is the connection between people, processes, data and objects.
- People must be connected: It is useless to have a lot of information if it cannot be used for anything. A good organization of data allows people to make informed decisions and information can be used in the appropriate way. This creates economic value in an economy that is based on the Internet of Things.
For this reason, people are one of the four pillars. People are the central figure in any economic system. They are consumers and at the same time they are also producers whose purpose is to supply the needs of the environment. Whether it is person-to-person (P2P) or machine-to-person (M2P) or machine-to-machine (M2M) connection, all connections and the data generated from them are used to increase value to people.
How do companies use data?
The feedback loop is an important resource for companies because it helps them react and plan in an ever-changing business context. It enables a company to have relevant and competitive offers that address customer needs. For example, many retail stores use loyalty cards to track customer purchases and identify trends. This allows them to promote offers directly to the most relevant buyers who represent the greatest earning potential.
Many years ago, companies were dedicated to manufacturing products directed towards a single market line, which were uniform products that were distributed throughout the world, the most used marketing tools were newspapers, brochures, signs, in order to publicize your products and / or services.
However, not all people have the same needs or the same tastes, not everyone wants the same. That is why today’s companies carry out a more targeted marketing, create offers according to market needs, trends and that is why they need to have access to their customers’ data.
2. Objects: physical objects and devices connected to the internet to contribute to intelligent decision-making.
Nowadays, when we talk about traditional computing devices, we could think of desktop computers or laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. However, when we talk about the internet of things or the internet of everything, we include all kinds of objects and devices that were not traditionally connected. It is said that at some point in the future around 99% of objects will be connected to the internet.
These objects could be connected to all kinds of servers and to the external environment. In addition, they are network capable and can communicate over an available, reliable and secure network platform. When objects have sensing and communication capabilities, the availability of data can change the way and where decisions are made, who makes them, and the processes that people and businesses use to make those decisions.
People are increasingly using mobile devices every day to communicate and perform everyday tasks, such as checking the weather forecast or banking online. Among the most common are smartphones, tablets, and currently it is common to see smart watches and glasses like (google glasses). Many of the household objects can be connected to the internet and that can be found and configured remotely, among them we can find devices such as a television, decoders, refrigerators, ovens, lighting systems, etc.
Outside your home, in the outside world, there are also many connected devices that provide comfort and useful and even fundamental information, medical devices, cars, temperature sensors, etc.
For IOT to work, all the devices are part of the solution, they must be connected to each other so that there can be communication between them. Connections can be made through cables or wireless.
In most cases, connecting devices together using cables is too expensive or cumbersome to be practical. For this reason, most devices must be able to send and receive data wirelessly.
There are many different types of wireless communication. The most common types of wireless communication are Wi-Fi, mobile phone networks, Bluetooth, and proximity data transmission (NFC). Some devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs, use a combination of wireless communication methods to connect to different devices.
3. Data: transforms data into more useful information to make decisions.
The data are very important but by themselves they would not make any sense, we can get more out of the data by interpreting them and then using them for a specific task, for example through correlation or comparison. When data becomes useful it becomes information When it is applied or understood, that information becomes knowledge.
In electronic communication, data is represented as ones and zeros. These distinct elements are known as bits (or binary digits). All electronic data is stored in this digital binary format. While humans interpret words and pictures, computers interpret bit patterns. The advantage of using digital encoding is that data can be stored more efficiently and can be transmitted over long distances without deteriorating quality.
Structured data: is data that is entered and maintained in fixed fields within a file or record. Computers enter, classify, query, and analyze structured data with ease. For example, when you submit your name, address, and billing information to a website, you create structured data. The structure requires the use of a certain format for data entry, in order to minimize errors and make it easier for the computer to interpret them.
Unstructured data: Unstructured data lacks the organization of structured data; it is raw data. They do not have the structure that identifies the value of the data. There is no fixed method for entering or grouping unstructured data and then analyzing it. Some examples of unstructured data include the content of photos and audio and video files.
Structured and unstructured data are valuable resources for individuals, organizations, industries, and governments. Like other resources, information gathered from structured and unstructured data has measurable value. However, the value of that data may increase or decrease, depending on how it is managed. Even the best data loses value over time.
4. Process:
Processes play a critical role in how the other pillars objects, data, and people work together to deliver value in the connected world of IOT. The Internet has revolutionized the way companies manage their supplies and how consumers buy them. This has created opportunities for interactions to be much faster and simpler than before. With the right process, connections become relevant and add value as the right information is delivered to the right person at the right time and in the right way. The processes can be given in different ways machine to machine (M2M), machine to person (M2P) and person to person (P2P).
M2M connections: Machine-to-machine (M2M) connections occur when data is transferred from one machine or “object” to another over a network. Machines include sensors, robots, computers, and mobile devices.
An example of M2M is a connected car that emits a signal to inform that a driver is almost home, signaling the home network to adjust the temperature and lighting in the home.
M2P connections: It happens when there is a transfer of information between a machine, be it a computer or cell phone, etc. and a person When a person obtains information from a database or performs complex analysis, an M2P connection takes place. These M2P connections facilitate the movement, manipulation and information of machine data to help people make informed decisions. The actions that people take based on their reasoned reasoning complete an IoT feedback loop.
P2P connections: Take place when information is transferred from one person to another. P2P connections are increasingly occurring through video, mobile devices, and social media. These P2P connections are often referred to as “collaboration.”
The highest value of IoT is obtained when the process facilitates the integration of M2M, M2P and P2P connections.
The true power of IoT emerges at the intersection of all these elements.
Some tips that undoubtedly need to be followed to ensure IoT security
Keep mobile devices under control
Keeping mobile devices under control means, among other things, ensuring that at the end of the day, when the day is over, they are conveniently disconnected. To do this, an alternative is to use a secure or biometric access password, in such a way as to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons, especially if, for any reason, a mobile phone or tablet is lost or stolen. It also helps to use a security product that allows you to restrict the applications that will run on the device, segregate business and personal data, and erase business data if a device is stolen. In this sense, the installation of an identity management system such as OKTA will greatly facilitate access control.
Deploy automatic antivirus updates
Viruses are one of the great threats, so maintaining good software to prevent their entry is a necessary measure, in such a way that it helps to protect against access by hackers to the system and data (known as Trojan horses or Trojans). Maintaining a setting that allows automatic antivirus updates to protect devices from a cyber attack will help in this task.
Require strong login credentials
Many people use the same login and password on every device or service they use, a habit that can create a significant vulnerability. This is due to a search for greater ease in remembering the keys, but it also represents a gateway for cybercriminals. This is why it is a good idea to ensure that each login is unique for each employee and that strong passwords are required. It is also recommended to change the default password on new devices.
Implement end-to-end encryption
Of course, connected devices communicate with each other. When this happens, data transfers occur from one point to another. To avoid vulnerabilities it is necessary to encrypt data at each intersection, to protect the information as it travels from one point to another.
Keep your device and software up to date
When purchasing a new device, it is a good idea to make sure that the vendor will provide the updates, so that we can implement them on our devices as quickly as possible. In fact, in most cases, it is best to configure it in such a way that this process starts automatically.
Taken from: https://www.nts-solutions.com/blog/iot-seguridad.html
The information provided was based on the course: Introduction to the Internet of Everything by Cisco Networking Academy.
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