Internet of Things and You

Amazon’s Alexa. Nest thermostats. ADT home security systems. Apple CarPlay. Pacemakers. What do these, and hundreds of other devices, have in common? They are a part of the ever-growing Internet of Things (IoT). Tech Target defines IoT as “a scenario in which objects, animals, or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.”

IoT is growing in popularity every day. This is partly due to the fact that it simplifies our lives by automating processes, often acting as a personal assistant. For businesses, it can increase competitive advantage, productivity, and innovation. Internal Audit recognizes that as this system of interconnected devices grows, we must all be focus on implementing controls to minimize the risks that are evolving alongside our technology. Most importantly, as we increase our dependence on technology, we open our lives to more opportunities for cyber security breaches that can lead to security and privacy issues such as identity theft. Before sharing your information or interconnecting more devices, one should research the reputation and reliability of the security measure in place. Just as we are required to change our NinerNET passwords on regular intervals, Internal Audit suggests everyone implement similar updates to their personal accounts to minimize the risk of identity theft.

Many of us enjoy knowing that answers and help are at our fingertips. That we do not have to memorize passwords because our computers save them. That we can link accounts and devices removing the need to repeatedly entering in personal information. This type of dependence on the IoT can cause major disruptions in our lives if we are not prepared for technology failure. Maintaining a backup plan is essential to protect oneself from these eventualities. In general, outages should be regularly monitored and corrected in a timely manner.