Internet of Things - Impact on Society
Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept that describes physical devices embedded with various software and sensors networked together, allowing them to share data and communicate with each other.
IoT connects everyday objects—from kitchen appliances to vehicles—through the internet, allowing them to send and receive data. This connectivity aims to make daily tasks more efficient and gather data to improve decision-making.
The idea behind IoT is to interlink everyday items, making tasks much more informative and, in the end, streamlining specific tasks and events. As an example, have the pillow you sleep on, the toothbrush you use in the morning, and the cup you use to pour yourself coffee be able to talk to each other would allow you to identify the best patterns and behaviors to follow when waking up, it would help you maintain a healthy morning routine and provide you with insightful information which you can use for your benefit. IoT is the natural next step in our technological progression. We are now at a stage where sensors and circuits are cheap enough to be affordable by the majority of the population, and they are small enough to be embedded into everyday items without much effort. As we progress, IoT presence will only increase.
IoT and networked technology have many benefits for us. The interconnected sharing of information allows us to aggregate large sets of valuable data that can be used to make informed decisions. For example, when we go to a doctor with a few symptoms, they recommend treatments that might help. However, when we tell them about our prior medical history, current symptoms, allergens, and other medical records, they can recommend carefully what we might need to resolve our condition. Similarly, collecting more information about our behaviors allows us to make informed decisions and thus improve our daily lives.
Consider starting with simple IoT devices, like smart thermostats or fitness trackers, to understand how IoT technology can enhance your lifestyle and routine before integrating more complex systems.
However, with a more interconnected world, we also open ourselves to many new issues we must overcome.
With increased connectivity, privacy and security become major concerns. It’s essential to secure IoT devices and understand the privacy implications of interconnected systems to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.
As we see in the X-Files episode ‘Rm9sbG93ZXJz’, an interconnected world could be used against us to impact every little aspect of our lives negatively.
As we see in that episode, everything from the smart home intended to be used to maintain and manage a house easily to delivery drones and AI-driven cars used to provide convenience, if hacked or taken over, can prove life-threatening to us. The large amounts of aggregated data can be used to understand our every behavior and pattern, which can then be used to manipulate and control us.
The more convenient and informative networked technology and IoT devices become, the more reliant we will be on them. Our day-to-day lives would drastically change from what we know today, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to go back to a world without IoT devices. A negative consequence can be seen in the Grey’s Anatomy episode ‘Out of Nowhere’ when a hospital’s network infrastructure is hacked. Since all the devices within that medical facility are interlinked, the threat actor controls everything. This includes computers and tablets to view patient medical records, machines that help perform surgeries and operations, lights within the operation rooms, and doors that lock blood and other medical supplies. Internetworked infrastructure provides the organization with a single point of failure. If the network gets hacked, anything and everything connected is also gone. Within the episode, we see that the entire hospital’s operations are impacted, and the doctors and clinicians cannot perform their duties and have no option but to transfer patients to a different facility.
As depicted in dramatic portrayals, interconnected systems, if compromised, can lead to life-threatening situations. It’s crucial to implement robust security measures to prevent such vulnerabilities in IoT environments.
While the benefits of IoT and networked technology are often touted, it’s crucial to consider the potential risks. This technology, like any other, has its advantages and disadvantages. However, the key is to make an informed decision about whether to integrate it into our daily lives, considering both the benefits and the potential risks.
As you consider integrating IoT into your life or business, weigh the convenience and efficiency benefits against the potential risks of data exposure and dependency on technology.