Catch phrases being what they are ‘The Internet of Things’ is a doozy. Normally by the time such trends are discussed on 60 Minutes they’re as passé as ‘jumping the shark’. But not in this case because The Internet of Things is rich in ideas that promise to automate our homes, our cars and in short, the way we live our lives.
We’re not strangers to The Internet of Things. Seagate Technology Evangelist, David Chapa wrote the following about it in a November blog post, “The value of the Internet of Things will grow with each compelling use case we develop. Brody’s (Paul Brody, VP of Mobile Tech at IBM) advice is, basically, not to boil the ocean but rather to create value in the information by finding something to do with it or move to the next one. This is how we will build on the information being collected.”
The value (appetite) for these applications can grow significantly – especially when we see it with our own eyes. Such was the case with those ‘self driving cars’ on display at last month’s North American International Auto Show. As exciting as it seems, some say the security aspects of The Internet of Things needs closer inspection. In relation to automated cars – as was portrayed in the 60 Minutes piece – the concern is that the systems running them are vulnerable to hacks by someone or thing other than the person or thing that’s meant to be at the controls.
This position is bolstered by a timely report entitled ‘Tracking & Hacking’, which was recently issued by US Senator from Massachusetts, Ed Markey (report introduction): “New technologies in cars have enabled valuable features that have the potential to improve driver safety and vehicle performance. Along with these benefits, vehicles are becoming more connected through electronic systems like navigation, infotainment, and safety monitoring tools. The proliferation of these technologies raises concerns about the ability of hackers to gain access and control to the essential functions and features of those cars and for others to utilize information on drivers’ habits for commercial purposes without the drivers’ knowledge or consent.”
It is then not surprising that these accounts are being debunked by others in the media as hyperbolic, with suggestions that “…car hacking probably won’t be a widespread issue until there’s a repeatable profit.”
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The Internet of Things Goes Back to What We Are Storing
While the political class and the fourth estate debate these issues neither are questioning the opportunity that The Internet of Things could bring to businesses and people’s personal lives. During the OpenStack Paris Summit, late last year, Shai Tsur, Senior Business Development Manager at Seagate was asked about the issue.
Click here or on the image to hear from Shai how Seagate is preparing to support its partners and users to take full advantage of the opportunities that Internet of Things could bring.
