Now humanity lives in an age of rapid information and technological progress; many technologies are being imported into every person’s daily life. Information technologies, in particular the Internet, permeate the environment of every person and become almost invisible. One of the relatively new concepts is the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT defines as a network of physical objects with built-in technologies that allow interacting with the external environment, transmitting information about their state and receiving data from the outside.
Internet of Things implies connecting devices into a chain and allowing them to collect and analyze information. It involves processing and transmitting data to other objects through software, applications or technical devices. IoT devices function independently without requiring human-to-computer interaction. Nonetheless, people can customize such devices or provide access to data. IoT systems operate in real-time and usually consist of some “smart” devices and cloud platforms. Devices are connected to the cloud via WiFi, Bluetooth, or other means of communication.
IoT may not be visible, but it is essential in everyday life and is integrated into many areas of human activity. The use of IoT is not limited by anything: the technology is used in smart homes and cars, in healthcare, in farming and the agricultural sector. Thus, air conditioning systems, video surveillance, pacemakers, animal biochips or monitoring systems in the fields are examples of a “thing”. IoT aims to optimize, increase efficiency, collect the necessary data in real-time for subsequent analysis to achieve specific improvements. These technologies make life easier, automate and speed up processes, and reduce the need for human interaction.
However, IoT has some security and privacy challenges, and smart devices are often vulnerable. Such devices collect a lot of personal information from users, such as ages and names, addresses and phone numbers. Some of them contain data from social networks of users. Smart devices such as smartwatches or bracelets often have the ability to make payments, hence containing payment data of people. All this information is confidential and must be protected; however, IoT devices are often hacked, and private information is at risk of being stolen.