IoT security risks to be discussed at electronica

Revolutionising lives, the IoT is making it easier for the physical world to merge with the digital. Enabling networked medical electronics, the technology is improving how patients will be treated and cared for. Energy efficient homes are also provided by the IoT through intelligent sensors and household appliances. Enabling machines to control themselves, RFID chips or barcodes allow networked machines to get the information needed to manufacture a product. IoT technology is also being developed to allow automobiles to exchange information with one another, warning drivers about traffic jams and calculating the best route to take based on the latest traffic data. 

According to Cisco, more than 3bn smartphones and tablets will be in use by 2017 and 50bn devices will be networked by 2020. Between 2013 and 2022, Machina Research forecasts the number of networked devices used in the building sector to increase from 900m to 6bn. Intelligent sensors are expected to account for 90% of the growth in the infrastructure and utilities sector, while vehicle-platform applications 90% of the growth in the automotive sector. 

Although the IoT provides capabilities previously unknown, it also presents risks. Therefore, hardware and software manufacturers need to consider security in the development process. The issue of security will not only be discussed at the CEO Roundtable, but also in several lectures at the event’s conferences and forums.