Here Comes the Internet of Things: Here's How to Stay Secure

What’s the Latest?

The Internet of Things takes advantage of aggregated data to help improve the efficiency of machines. In the case of home thermostats, perhaps the most common and democratic example, knowing at which times of day your city consumes the most energy can help you take advantage of price incentives to use less electricity. To create this useful information, the thermostat takes individual bits of data from individual homes. When using this technology, experts warn it is important to know whether you are helping to contribute to data aggregation. Doing so without taking the proper precautions can put you at risk.

What’s the Big Idea?

Some kinds of information can be easily deduced from metrics recorded by your home thermostat including what times of day your home is empty and during which hours you are typically asleep. That may not be information you want floating around in public. For businesses, this means creating a stronger system of IT networks including “health tracking devices, smart metering devices, intelligent transportation devices, etc as part of other application patching.” Industry observers recommend opting out of sharing systems until you have installed proper protections on your data.