IoT

Smartphones, smart watches, smart gadgets  or widely, smart devices. The world is now relying on interconnected “tools” or products that are able to integrate new technological developments and to interact with each other using internet access. This is how the Internet of things (IoT) works, simply put. But how exactly is IoT influencing the future of technological advancement?

It’s a fact that currently, the overall number of IoT devices used has not just surpassed the number of people on the planet – but it is almost triple, according to recent data, and the demand for IoT devices is very likely to increase in the future, especially with the adoption of 5G internet networks. And why is that? 5G is the new generation of wireless technology and is perceived to be a “game changer” in the IoT world, as it presents extraordinary speed, bandwidth, power efficiency or connectivity.

Two main requirements are needed for a normal product to be transformed into a smart device:

• It needs access to the internet;
• It uses integrated technological features such as sensors, functional software etc.

This means that your devices could have access to your health data (such as blood pressure or heart rate), but it could also identify users’ emotions through facial recognition tools.

What are some advantages of IoT devices?

With the help of IoT devices, people can have easy access to information and to their data. They also provide monitoring features so that users can be aware of what is happening at their home or when they need to do the grocery shopping. Moreover, the use of IoT devices is saving a lot of time and money through making daily tasks easier to achieve and involving less human effort.

So, are there any possible threats of using IoT devices?

The main concerns are related to potential privacy and security breaches, in which users’ data could be exposed and misused for other purposes. Especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, cyberattacks on IoT devices have intensified. As the young generation is the most exposed to using such devices, special safety features should be put in place to protect young people from the undesirable effects of IoT gadgets.