Since the inception, IoT has taken the world by storm. From office to home, even cities are being influenced by IoT. It is being considered as the major breakthrough in the 21st century. As per Cisco estimates, there will be close to 26 billion devices in 2020 all across the world. It has proved its’ mettle by drastically reducing the cost, enhancing the existing service, improving the efficiency, lowering the energy consumption. But every innovation comes with pros and cons and IoT is also no exception of that. There are some underlying inhibitions that act as the barrier for wide adoption of IoT. The challenges are:
IoT has officially transformed into a genuine security concern that has drawn the consideration of top-notch tech firms and government organizations over the world. The hacking of monitors, cameras, coolers, Barbie dolls, medication pumps, and even rifles are part of the horrific security concern being caused by the abuse of IoT. Such a large number of new hubs being added to systems and the web will give malevolent characters the required assault parameters, conceivable outcomes to complete their detestable deeds, particularly since an extensive number of them experience the ill effects of security openings.
The more vital move in security will originate from the way that IoT will turn out to be more instilled in our lives. Concerns will never again be restricted to the assurance of delicate data and resources. Our exceptionally lives and wellbeing can turn into the objective of IoT hack assaults, as was appeared in the hacking of pacemakers. Basic city foundation can likewise turn into an objective, as the Ukraine control network hack cautioned us a year ago. Ukraine power grid has been an eye opener which showed us the negative power of hacking and impact of cyber-attack. The hackers took down the grid and closed 30 substations offline, attacked the power back-up center and kept 230,000 citizens at dark.
Privacy is another prime concern apart from security for the concerned personnel. With the advent of IoT, as all devices can communicate and collaborate at an amazing speed, at the same time it is trading our private information at big time. Sensitive and confidential information are being openly moved across the devices making the whole system vulnerable and prone to security attack. In case of Healthcare sector, where privacy and protection of data is given the utmost importance according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Companies undergo a hefty amount of monetary loss due to data breaches. As per the statistics of 2017, the average cost per data breach was more than $3.6 million dollars which stands out approx. staggering $380 per record breach. 65% of the ransomware attacks were generated from less secured devices and 45% can be considered as the sole reason of IoT. This issues a red alert for the concerned personnel and the top management regarding the need of an advanced and secured network security infrastructure to protect the confidential information from falling into wrong hands.
Interfacing such a large number of gadgets will be one of the greatest difficulties without bounds of IoT, and it will resist the very structure of current correspondence models and the hidden advances.The countless devices are being connected over the internet, putting a humongous pressure on the exisitng framework which is a severe challenge to maintain. It needs massive amount of investment to build the required infrastructure and maintain it so that information can be bandied back and forth in a secured manner.
Though IoT is still at nascent stage, the need for open standard is inevitable as most of the software that need to be built would be of open standard. There is a dire need of a consortium or international body which will manage all the IoT innovations and bring everyone under a broad umbrella. Eclipe IoT focuses on application of standard protocols. It needs to be done a large scale and international basis. The regulations also are not adequate to handle the intrinsic issues pertaining to IoT. Without proper regulation and protocol IoT growth will be hampered.
As per the prediction of Gartner, the deivces connected to IoT medium are increasing day by day and will represent 26 billion club in 2020. It requires massive amount of energy to charge and maintain them. At present it takes close to 30 billion watts electricity per year to maintain that huge momentum of technology. Unless and until, we find the necessary electricity generation source and revamp our existing format, it would be quite difficult to manage the increasing demand.
Notwithstanding the factor of IoT’s recent initiation in the mainstream areas, it is quite gruesome work to uplift and overhaul the existing infrastructure within few years’ time frame. This futuristic technology would certainly take its due course of time to integrate in our daily lives provided the challenges are resolved.
