The Internet of Things (IoT) has become an important part of industrial technology. Conversations related to IoT is gaining popularity rapidly. Internet of Things is one of the most trending technologies of this era. In this modern world of digital transformation, connecting everything to the Internet is the new hype. It is responsible for building smart homes, self-driving cars, smart devices, and smart cities. However, there are a few challenges in the Internet of Things. Let us further talk about the challenges faced by IoT.
Challenges faced by IoT
While IoT devices bring about efficiency, automate things, save time and money and have other benefits, one thing still concerns its users— challenges in the Internet of Things. Despite having key resources and improvements in IoT components: Networks and Sensors, many companies have not been able to make great benefits out of their IoT project. The reason behind this is the challenges faced by the Internet of Things. The challenges in the Internet of Things are :
1. Security Threats
Many smart IoT devices have been hacked, which is negatively affecting the trust of not only consumers but also businesses. Let’s dive deeper into the most critical security challenges faced by the Internet of Things –
Outdated Software & Hardware
Since IoT devices are being used rapidly, the manufacturers of these devices are focusing on making new ones but not paying enough attention to security. Updating hardware & Software regularly is one of the main challenges in the Internet of Things.
A number of these devices don’t get enough updates, whereas some never get a single update. This means that the products are secure at the time of purchase but they become easy to attack when the hackers find some security issues or bugs.
If these problems are not fixed by releasing regular updates, the devices remain unsafe and invite attacks. Every little thing connected to the Internet needs regular updates. Not having updates can lead to a data breach of the customers as well as of companies that manufacture them.
Weak & Default Credentials
Many IoT companies are selling a device and giving consumers default credentials with it. For instance, an admin username. Hackers just need the username and password to attack this device. Once they know the username, they carry out brute-force attacks to infect the devices. For example, the Mirai botnet attack. It happened because the devices were using default credentials. Consumers should be changing default credentials as soon as they buy the device. This will reduce challenges in the Internet of Things. But, most of the manufacturers don’t say anything in the instruction guides about changing it. Not saying anything in the instruction guide leaves all the devices open to attack.
Challenges to Home Security
Homes and offices are getting smarter with the Internet of Things. The developers are providing the apartments and the entire building with IoT devices. Home automation is good, but everyone is not aware of the practices that should be taken care of for IoT security.
Even if the IP addresses are exposed, it can lead to exposure of home address and other contact details of the consumer. Attackers can use this information for evil purposes. This leaves smart homes and buildings at potential risk. It is major a challenge IoT faces today.
2. Lack of Government Support
There is not enough support from the Government across the world equally for IoT devices. Hence, challenges in the Internet of Things also include meeting the standards set by Government regulatory bodies for building IoT devices. The standards are not uniform globally and therefore, it is a problem.
3. Connectivity
This is a part of a networking challenge. Since the Internet is still not available everywhere at the same speed. Research says connectivity is one of the biggest challenges in the Internet of Things.
Many companies engaged in remote operations require intense communication networks to collect data in rough conditions and transmit it to the center for analysis. These networks have to be well-connected to offer quick and proper communication. But the number of connected devices is growing at a rapid rate than the network coverage. This, in turn, is creating monitoring and tracking problems. Connectivity is, hence, a major challenge faced by IoT.
4. Handling Unstructured Data
Another challenge faced by IoT is handling unstructured data. Connected devices are increasing the challenges of handling unstructured data on the parameters of velocity, volume, and variety. However, the real problem for the organizations is to determine which data is valuable, since only quality data is actionable data.
5. Identification and Authentication
There are many devices connected to the internet. The number is increasing daily. But, to connect all the devices will involve a lot of security risks and complexity. Bringing a large number of connected devices on one platform needs formalization and systematic structure that can identify and authenticate those devices. This is not easy and thus, proves to be one of the challenges in the Internet of Things.
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