Security in IoT Era

For IoT to thrive, the need is to have a strong security framework to ensure its widespread adoption

Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most talked about and anticipated technology shifts expected to transform the way we live. The number of connected and smart devices is growing at a rapid pace globally as well as in India. According to Gartner, IoT will grow globally to 26 bn units installed in 2020, fundamentally changing everything we do with real-time data and actionable intelligence. From predictive automotive maintenance and innovative logistics to real-time customer insights for the nextgeneration retail, IoT will significantly change the game for businesses and society as a whole. India too plans to create a $20 bn IoT industry in education, healthcare, and services over the next five years. Paving the way for this will be the government’s ambitious and on-going initiative to build hundred smart cities under the broader ‘Digital India’ umbrella. This will clearly set the stage for increased uptake of IoT applications and slowly marking a shift towards being an intelligent, connected, and smart economy.

IoT is not just about the home auto- mation systems that turn lights on and off remotely and the plants notifying the sprinklers when it’s time to water them. IoT will mark a tectonic shift far beyond the domestic machines to industrial and machine applications. Big data and intelligence will drive the implementation of IoT as new information will get generated pretty much on a real time basis through constant and seamless data flow across devices, servers, and geographic borders.

With increased connectivity comes an increased risk that sensitive data may be breached or compromised. Networks,