Internet of Things and Cloud Technology

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Internet of Things

Description

Internet of Things accounts for all devices that are connected to the internet. In other words, the Internet of Things is a descriptive term for devices that are linked and communicate to each other via the internet, from smart devices like phones and sensors to innovative accessories like watches and other wearables. IoT facilitates the automated devices sharing the internet connection to assemble information, analyze it and make an informed decision relating to the action. IoT creates a secure connection where the linked devices can exchange information in closed silos. It also allows the connection network to extend across divergent network types (Nauman et al., 2020).

Impacts

IoT presents privacy vulnerability since everything connected to the internet is predisposed to hacking and unauthorized acquisition of private information. For instance, Vtech, a toy manufacturing company, lost possession of toddlers’ videos and pictures using its networked systems due to unreliable IoT. Additionally, the connected devices create opportunities from unauthorized surveillance of users, which presents a negative implication. For instance, observing smartwatch wearers’ sexual activities could provide the unauthorized observer with leverage against the wearer. Furthermore, it streamlines activities and operations in organizations. For example, IoT has positively impacted the financial sector by reinforcing service provision and facilitating financial activity transparency.

Risks

IoT is plagued by the cybersecurity risks the connected devices present. In addition to the security risk, the IoT increases the vulnerability to hacking by widening the target of hackers by connecting all devices to a single private silo. Security risks arise from the lack of privacy programs to protect the networks, inadequate surveillance for detection and mitigation of security threats, data siphoning, and risk of disruption of business operations. The risk of data siphoning occurs when the hacker spies on the data traffic to obtain confidential information. At the same time, denial-of-service attacks can disrupt business operations by overwhelming the endpoints with traffic to disrupt IoT functionality.

Growth and Cost

Considering that IoT is technologically oriented, its growth in use and application in different industries increases. This growth cogitates on the development of the field for more efficiency. Studies indicate a significant deviation in IoT application from thirteen percent in 2013 to twenty-five percent in 2019. Given this trend in growth, the field shows developmental potential. With its comprehensive utility in divergent applications and its consistent growth attributed to technological advancements, the number of linked devices will increase to approximately forty million or more by 2023 (Stoyanova et al., 2020). Implementation of IoT projects in organizations is a complex process constituting hardware, software, communication, and optimizing operational costs. Hardware and software costs entail circuit design, chip selection procurement, and appropriate software to support the linkage.

World implications

IoT has numerous applications in different sectors in world businesses and governments. When applied to the global education system, it can facilitate education in remote, underserved communities. Similarly, its application in healthcare will help the government reduce the cost of healthcare by simplifying medical processes with the interconnection. The connection of devices in the transport systems will enhance coordination hence improve safety and availability.

Cloud Technology

The cloud is a section of the internet that serves as a virtual location where users are provided with virtual storage to keep their digital resources from files to applications instead of deleting them or storing them in physical stores. Cloud technology facilitates the usage of the digital resources kept in the virtual location by leveraging the satellite network in any location. It also allows sharing of these resources with users in different locations. Cloud technology presents several benefits that promote its use among individuals worldwide.

Benefits

Its virtual nature eliminates the bounds of physicality hence provides better storage, given that the user from any location can access the resources stored in the cloud. Furthermore, the limitless capacity of the cloud technology application accounts for better storage. Facilitates operational agility in organizations. Cloud technology allows corporations to scale up and down, if need be, without incurring extra operational costs. Cloud technology allows for better interaction with remote users, increasing organizations’ sustainability and profitability (Bataev et al., 2018). Global teams can better collaborate and share digital resources using cloud technology. The cloud technology is highly affordable given that it does not require physical storage hence eliminating extra operational costs.

Uses

Cloud technology is applied daily by users worldwide while using electronic mail since Microsoft’s Office365 and Google’s Gmail use cloud technology. These applications utilize vast networks of servers to provide optimal functionality. Similar concepts are applied in banking, where cloud technology is used to store financial information in a network of servers. Leveraging its limitless capacity, cloud technology is used in streaming videos by service providers like Hulu or Netflix. The capacity allows for a vast number of users to log in to the virtual storage and distribute resources to accommodate every user.

Furthermore, the high performance of cloud technology facilitates the operation of coordinate services where moving objects’ locations are matched to stationary objects in the same location. Cloud computing also powers e-commerce by facilitating order placement and assessing and sorting logistics and inventory to fulfill the order and benefit the buyer and seller. The virtual storage and networked services account for real-time online orders and delivery.

Aspects of cybersecurity

Technological advancements and their increasing utility present challenges with the security of information. Numerous cybersecurity issues are equating to the number of virtual platforms. There are three vital aspects of cybersecurity that apply to different virtual platforms. Data governance is an essential aspect of cybersecurity, constituting identity and role management. It determines the access rights of every user and the inaccessibility of unauthorized users. Algorithms are employed to record the usage and access of virtual systems and presenting the report to top management to facilitate the security of virtual platforms. This promotes confidentiality of data, allows for access rights updating.

The second aspect of cybersecurity is a precaution and guarantee that the virtual platforms will function according to the manufacturer’s specification and prevents manipulation from unauthorized users. This insurance prevents hackers from accessing confidential data and using it against the victims of cyber-attacks. Additionally, this aspect is vital, especially when it comes to virtual platforms that operate sensitive areas like finance, transport, and healthcare systems. Therefore, the virtual platforms need to maintain the integrity of their tasks as the manufacturer intended. The third aspect is the virtual platforms’ strength and soundness. Considering cybersecurity and attacks, hackers gain access to unauthorized sites and platforms by exploiting a technical possibility that facilitates their access. Flaws in the design of technologies influence the cybersecurity of firms, governments, and individuals. This access allows the malicious users to control organizational data, breach the data, and even transfer financial resources.

Cloud technology is also an aspect that influences cybersecurity. Given that the cloud provides its users with a virtual storage network where robust security applications enhance data security in organizations or individuals (Jantunen et al., 2017). Data breaches and other cyberattacks are common in businesses; a shift to the utilization of cloud technologies limits the security risks. The cloud technologies and the companies that utilize cloud-based technologies safeguard their users’ data since they invest in security resources making the data safer than the users storing it on-site.

Despite improving the cybersecurity of information, cloud technologies are influenced by IoT, which implicates the security of data in the cloud. The network of servers with robust information technology security resources enhances users’ cybersecurity of users, but the IoT undoes all the efforts. The connection of various devices presents security vulnerabilities since not all the devices connected have ample security. Therefore, IoT negatively influences cybersecurity while cloud technologies enhance it.

References

Bataev, A.V., Rodionov, D.G. and Andreyeva, D.A. (2018) Analysis of world trends in the field of cloud technology: 2018 International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN), pp. 594-598.

Jantunen, E., Junnola, J. and Gorostegui, U. (2017) Maintenance supported by cyber-physical systems and cloud technology: 2017 4th International Conference on Control, Decision and Information Technologies (CoDIT),, pp. 0708-0713

Nauman, A., Qadri, Y.A., Amjad, M., Zikria, Y.B., Afzal, M.K. and Kim, S.W. (2020) Multimedia Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Survey,” in IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 8202-8250

Stoyanova, M., Nikoloudakis, Y., Panagiotakis, S., Pallis, E. and Markakis, E.K. (2020) A Survey on the Internet of Things (IoT) Forensics: Challenges, Approaches, and Open Issues: in IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 1191-1221