A Cautious Welcome to the Internet of Things

With every passing day new innovative technologies are emerging that are automating tasks in our everyday lives and digitizing an increasing amount of consumer goods in our households. These devices work to enhance efficiency and functionality, such as thermostats with sensors to automatically adjust the temperature, a smart fridge to keep track of food expiry dates, or smart watches to track all aspects of your personal fitness. These Internet of Things are popular devices and desirable by many individuals in our world.

Although these devices can add a touch of luxury and simplicity to our everyday lives, the expanding internet of things can create more opportunities for cybercrime. It is estimated that 64 billion Internet of Things devices will be installed and in use by the year 2026. With an increase in devices, comes an increase in possible entry points for cyber attack and personal information exposure. Internet of Things devices also tend to have less process and storage capabilities, making it more difficult to utilize various security applications to keep safeguarded.

As our Internet of Things world continues to explode I encourage you to exercise caution and carefully manage these devices to protect your personal privacy and data. Take the time to understand how the Internet of Things uses information and always be an active and aware consumer of these goods. You can never be too automatic and efficient with your personal protection and privacy.