IoT trends for 2018

Here is a list f IoT predictions for year 2018. With the number of connected devices set to top 11 billion – and that’s not including computers and phones – in 2018, Internet of Things will clearly continue to be a hot topic. Here is my prediction list:

1. Artifical Intelligence – it will be talked a lot

2. Blockchain – blockchain will be hyped to be a solution for many IoT problems, and it will turn out that it is not the best solution for most of problems it is hyped for – and maybe it will find few sensible uses for it in IoT. Blockchain can add immutability and integrity to some IoT transactions.

3. 4G mobile for IoT: NB-IoT and LTE-M are ready to be tested or used in many markets

4. 5G will be hyped a lot for IoT applications but it is nowhere near for any real big IoT use cases

6. Security issues will be talked a lot. IoT security is far from solved issue.

7. Privacy issues of IoT will be talked a lot when our homes and pockets are starting to be filled with ever listening digital assistants.

8. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) will be massive

9. More CPU power will be added or used in the edge. Pushing processing power to the “edge” brings a number of benefits and opportunities.

10. Hardware based security: Hardware based security on microprocessors will be talked a lot after “Meltdown” and “Spectre” disaster

Links to more predictions:

https://www.networkworld.com/article/3245528/internet-of-things/7-iot-trends-that-will-define-2018.html

https://www.information-management.com/opinion/predictions-2018-5-trends-driving-the-internet-of-things-and-industrial-internet-of-things

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2017/12/19/the-top-8-iot-trends-for-2018/#17a9943267f7

https://www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/top-5-iot-trends-in-2018/

https://www.inc.com/james-paine/3-internet-of-things-trends-to-watch-in-2018.html

https://www.i-scoop.eu/iot-2018-1/

https://www.computerworlduk.com/iot/iot-trends-2018-artificial-intelligence-security-edge-solutions-3669388/

https://dzone.com/articles/iot-trends-for-2018

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/01/04/the-internet-of-things-iot-will-be-massive-in-2018-here-are-the-4-predictions-from-ibm/

 

1,393 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Business Insider:
    Satya Nadella says Cortana won’t challenge Alexa and Google Assistant directly, instead Microsoft will focus on making it a skill on other voice platforms — – Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that it no longer sees its Cortana smart assistant as a competitor to Amazon’s Alexa.

    CEO Satya Nadella says that Microsoft is embracing Amazon’s Alexa instead of fighting it — and he wants to be friends with Google, too
    https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-cortana-amazon-alexa-2019-1?op=1&r=US&IR=T&IR=T

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that it no longer sees its Cortana smart assistant as a competitor to Amazon’s Alexa.
    Instead, Nadella says that he wants Cortana to be thought of as a skill, or app, for Amazon’s Alexa — something that Alexa users can already try for themselves.
    But Nadella doesn’t want to stop there: He says that there’s no reason why Cortana shouldn’t be available on Google Assistant, too.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Manufacturing with Intelligence: A Framework for System-Level Anomaly Prediction
    https://innovate.ieee.org/innovation-spotlight/anomaly-prediction-IoT-sensors-data-mining-manufacturing/#utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=innovation&utm_content=Manufacturing%20Anomaly%20Prediction?LT=CMH_WB_2019_LM_XIS_Paid_Social

    It is time to put smarter manufacturing into production. An increase in the data and sensors available to the manufacturing industry has made it much easier to gather data on manufacturing efficiency through the Internet of Things (IoT). However, current IoT systems tend to look at sensors at an individual level, which limits their ability to forecast anomalies across a manufacturing operation, as each sensor can only measure a specific part of the operation.

    To address this issue, a team of researchers created the framework for system-level anomaly prediction in manufacturing (SAPIM)

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    San Diego’s Smart Streetlights Yield a Firehose of Data
    https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/computing/networks/san-diegos-smart-streetlight-network-yielding-a-firehose-of-data

    San Diego’s network of smart streetlights, which has been rolling out since early 2018, continues to grow. To date, some 2,000 of the sensor-laden devices have begun gathering pictures, sounds, and other data.

    So far, the city has focused on the image data, using it to count pedestrians and cars as they move around the city. This data is only just starting to feed into the way the city designs and manages traffic flows, and any consumer applications remain far in the future

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Business Insider:
    Satya Nadella says Cortana won’t challenge Alexa and Google Assistant directly; Microsoft will focus on making it a skill on other voice platforms instead
    https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-cortana-amazon-alexa-2019-1?op=1&r=US&IR=T&IR=T

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Alexa, Remind Me Of The First Time Your Product Category Failed
    https://hackaday.com/2019/01/21/alexa-remind-me-of-the-first-time-your-product-category-failed/

    For the last few years, the Last Great Hope™ of the consumer electronics industry has been voice assistants. Alexas and Echos and Google Homes and Facebook Portals are all the rage. Over one hundred million Alexa devices have been sold, an impressive feat given that there are only about 120 Million households in the United States, and a similar number in Europe. Look to your left, look to your right, one of you lives in a house with an Internet connected voice assistant.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The future of IIoT software in manufacturing
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/the-future-of-iiot-software-in-manufacturing/

    A guide to understanding and using data distribution service (DDS), time-sensitive networking (TSN), and OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) for advanced manufacturing applications.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The New Wave of the Amazon Effect: How Digital Operations Are Changing Industrial Spaces
    https://www.sealevel.com/2018/12/11/the-new-wave-of-the-amazon-effect-how-digital-operations-are-changing-industrial-spaces/

    The demand market says, “have what you want, when you want it, where you want it,” and the rise of this slogan is called the Amazon Effect. The ruling paradigm in consumer markets such as retail and food, it is now rearing its head in industrial markets.

    Digital operations are the only way to keep up.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    EEVblog #1014 – Masterlock Bluetooth Padlock Teardown
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRdovnGruqk

    What’s inside the Masterlock 4400 Bluetooth Padlock?
    Dave tests and investigates a particular magnetic attack mode.

    http://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1014-masterlock-bluetooth-padlock-teardown/

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Pepper IoT: Smart devices aren’t so bright when it comes to security
    https://venturebeat.com/2019/01/29/pepper-iot-smart-devices-arent-so-bright-when-it-comes-to-security/

    Smart devices aren’t very intelligent when it comes to protecting user privacy and handling security, according to a report by Internet of Things platform and service provider Pepper IoT and cybersecurity firm Dark Cubed.

    For the report, Alexandria, Virginia-based Dark Cubed had its experts test and analyze the security and the data communications for consumer IoT devices. Unlike other IoT security tests that attempt to hack the device, this test monitored and captured these devices operating as designed and developed by the vendors, and it revealed several anomalies and unexplained communications.

    Much like your cell phone carrier has built and manages a network to control your smartphone communications, the IoT requires a similar platform. While cell phone carriers are regulated to ensure consumer privacy and safety, a similar regulatory environment has not caught up with IoT, the companies said.

    Lack of visibility into privacy and security is a clear and present danger: The testing found that there is no easy way for a consumer to know whether his or her device is safe, or if its communications platform is trustworthy. Worse, the companies saw examples of established brands being adopted by companies with strong ties to foreign counties including China.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Industrial Internet Consortium and OpenFog Consortium Merge
    https://www.securityweek.com/industrial-internet-consortium-and-openfog-consortium-merge

    The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) and the OpenFog Consortium (OpenFog) this week announced that they finalized the details to merge into a single entity.

    Founded in March 2014 and focused on the industrial Internet of things (IIoT), the IIC last year published best practices for securing industrial endpoints, and also developed a new IoT Security Maturity Model, building on its own security framework and reference architecture.

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Hacker spoke to baby, hurled obscenities at couple using Nest camera, dad says
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nest-camera-hacked-hacker-spoke-to-baby-hurled-obscenities-at-couple-using-nest-camera-dad-says/

    An Illinois couple said a hacker spoke to their baby through one of their Nest security cameras and then later hurled obscenities at them, CBS station WBBM-TV reports. Arjun Sud told the station he was outside his 7-month-old son’s room Sunday outside Chicago and he heard someone talking.

    “I was shocked to hear a deep, manly voice talking,” Sud said. “… My blood ran cold.”

    Sud told WBBM-TV he thought the voice was coming over the baby monitor by accident. But it returned when he and his wife were downstairs.

    The voice was coming from another of the many Nest cameras throughout the couple’s Lake Barrington house.

    The Suds disconnected the cameras they have inside their house and called Nest and the police. Arjun Sud said the company urged him to use two-factor authentication

    The Suds’ experience comes after another harrowing incident involving a hacked Nest camera. A California family was alarmed when someone used their camera’s speaker to warn of an impending missile strike from North Korea and to take cover, CBS News correspondent Anna Werner reported.

    Nest’s parent company, Google, said in a statement that Nest’s system was not breached. Google said the recent incidents stem from customers “using compromised passwords … exposed through breaches on other websites.”

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intro to Smart Home hub choices: Alexa & Google Home vs. Home Assistant
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVxoSXeC2Jw

    Even if you’re already up and running with your Smart Home, you can use this video to help you explain the concepts to friends and family that are just getting started. Those are the people I really had in mind when making this video.

    The big choice anyone getting started in home automation needs to make is; do I want a Hub? and which one?
    There are a lot of choices, but what makes the most sense is either one of the big-brand hubs (Alexa or Google Home), or the best supported and most developed open-source option, which is Home Assistant.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Three Basic Functions of the Digital Twin
    https://www.designnews.com/design-hardware-software/three-basic-functions-digital-twin/151859635660187?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=7386&elq_cid=876648

    The value of the digital twin is its ability to understand a product, to predict how the product will perform in production and in the field, and to optimize its performance and processes through its lifecycle.

    The concept of the digital twin has been around for several years, but it is just now coming to the forefront thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). The digital twin has a wide range of uses, from validating models with real-world data, planning its production processes, and predicting failure out in the field.

    Shankar Raman, director of portfolio development for digital manufacturing at Siemens PLM, notes there are three things about the digital twin that makes the case for its value. “I have been to multiple shows and exhibit floors and people are still asking what the digital twin is and how it enables digitization,” Raman told Design News. “The key is that there are the three factors that matter in the digital twin. The digital twin allows us to understand, to predict, and to optimize. Those three components of the digital twin drive positive business outcomes.”

    Using the Digital Twin to Understand Product Design and Production

    The data captured and managed in the digital twin offers a wealth of information about the product, its simulations, its composition, its production processes, and its expected behavior out in the field.

    Using the Digital Twin for Prediction

    The second part of the digital twin’s value, according to Raman, is its predictive capabilities. “We talk about predicting product behavior based on conditions and constraints. I want to be able to accurately predict how the product will behave in different conditions and environments.

    Optimizing with the Digital Twin

    The third area of value for the digital twin is its ability to support optimization. “You can use the digital twin to optimize the product, the plant, and the product’s performance in the field.

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Senators Reintroduce DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act
    https://www.securityweek.com/senators-reintroduce-dhs-cyber-hunt-and-incident-response-teams-act

    United States Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) on Friday announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act.

    The bill requires the DHS to create permanent incident response and so-called “cyber hunt” teams tasked with mitigating and preventing cyberattacks on private sector organizations and federal agencies.

    Initially introduced by Senators Hassan and Portman last year as the “DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2018,”

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    EU orders recall of children’s smartwatch over severe privacy concerns
    https://www.zdnet.com/article/eu-orders-recall-of-childrens-smartwatch-over-severe-privacy-concerns/

    EU warns that ENOX Safe-KID-One smartwatches contain several security flaws that let third-parties track and call children’s watches.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Good news! Only half of Internet of Crap apps fumble encryption
    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/04/iot_apps_encryption/

    Android apps for TP-Link, LIFX, Belkin, and Broadlink kit found with holes, some at least have been repaired

    Evaluating the security of IoT devices can be difficult, particularly if you’re not adept at firmware binary analysis. An alternative approach would be just to assume IoT security is generally terrible, and a new study has shown that’s probably a safe bet.

    In a paper distributed last week through preprint service ArXiv, computer scientists Davino Mauro Junior, Luis Melo, Harvey Lu, Marcelo d’Amorim, and Atul Prakash from the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, and the University of Michigan describe how they analyzed the security of apps accompanying IoT devices as indication of the overall security of the associated hardware.

    “Our intuition is that if this interaction between the companion app and device firmware is not implemented with good security principles, the device’s firmware is potentially insecure and vulnerable to attacks,” they explain in their paper.

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Three Basic Functions of the Digital Twin
    https://www.designnews.com/design-hardware-software/three-basic-functions-digital-twin/151859635660187?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=7392&elq_cid=876648

    The value of the digital twin is its ability to understand a product, to predict how the product will perform in production and in the field, and to optimize its performance and processes through its lifecycle.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Maximize production efficiency with high-end power measurement
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/maximize-production-efficiency-with-high-end-power-measurement/

    Machine-friendly input/output (I/O) hardware for high-end measurement technology continues to grow, optimizing power monitoring while eliminating harmonic distortion.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    ‘Data is the currency of the future’
    Embrace digital manufacturing and use data to provide customer value.
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/data-is-the-currency-of-the-future/

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Does your control system have style?
    Defining system language, look as important as operating parameters.
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/does-your-control-system-have-style/

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Future plant design links data, operations
    Manufacturers are ready to invest in next-gen digital production.
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/future-plant-design-links-data-operations/

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    IIoT developer tools receive standard update
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/iiot-developer-tools-receive-standard-update/

    FDT Group announced the release of its updated developer tools, known as Common Components, which are designed to enhance interoperability while accelerating time to market.

    FDT Group announced the release of its updated developer tools, known as Common Components, which support the FDT 2.1 standard. Common Components is used to simplify FDT/DTM and FDT/FRAME development in compliance with the FDT 2.1 specification. The tools are designed to enhance interoperability while accelerating time to market.

    FDT 2.1 specification’s release in 2018 set the FDT Group’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) transformation path to connect the intelligent enterprise based on industry-driven feedback across the process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturing markets. FDT 2.1 is also forward and backwards

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Process automation device model endorsed by standards groups
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/process-automation-device-model-endorsed-by-standards-groups/

    FieldComm Group’s process automation device information model specification (PA-DIM) has been endorsed by the OPC Foundation, and Profibus & Profinet International (PI).

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Proactive management of plant cybersecurity
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/proactive-management-of-plant-cybersecurity/

    A combination of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) cybersecurity expertise is required to manage the influx of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and increased IT/OT integration.

    The inward-looking plant control system is giving way to a wider and flatter network architecture, which requires a different cybersecurity focus. Operations technology (OT) is undergoing a sea change in goals, structure, and management—as is information technology (IT) with the integration of the plant control system with the business systems. This is making it necessary to manage enormous data flows inside the plant.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Me not smart: Connected-home tech isn’t living up to the hype
    https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2019/01/connected-home-tech-not-living-up-to-smart-hype-mouser-electronics-blog.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2019-02-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2364274

    – Connected-home tech isn’t living up to the hype; however, consumers might not agree. A recent survey by consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found that of the one in four U.S. internet users that own a smart device, 98% were “very or somewhat satisfied” with their product’s performance. Of the 75% of U.S. internet users that are yet to invest in a smart-home product, the reason for not purchasing had little to do with technical intimidation or failure to appreciate the product’s advantages and mostly to do with price (57%) and security/privacy concerns (47%).

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    2018 APOLAN Awards winners announced
    https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2019/02/2018-apolan-awards-winners-announced.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2019-02-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2364274

    The Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN), the non-profit organization driving both education and adoption for Passive Optical Local Area Networks (POL) technology, recently announced the winners of the 2018 APOLAN Awards.

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tom Warren / The Verge:
    Amazon now lets users create and submit custom Alexa skills for certification and publication in the US Skills Store

    Amazon opens up Alexa store for anyone to create and publish custom skills
    https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/13/18223074/amazon-alexa-skills-blueprint-store-publish-content-creation

    Anyone can create a trivia game and share it on the Alexa store

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    I have generally steered clear of Linux distros that are categorized as “lightweight” but are still largely aimed at desktop use or portable USB stick implementations, rather than headless devices. Still, lightweight Linux distros such as LXLE or Linux Lite could be good choices for IoT.

    The choices were more difficult with non-Linux open source platforms. After all, most lightweight RTOSes can be used for IoT. I focused on the major platforms, or those that seemed to offer the most promise for IoT. Other potential candidates can be found at this Open Source RTOS site.

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Smart manufacturing driving industry to fourth industrial revolution
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/smart-manufacturing-driving-industry-to-fourth-industrial-revolution/

    Surveys by MESA International indicate the manufacturing industry is making steady progress toward the fourth industrial revolution through smart manufacturing.

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    IIoT development tools receive standard update
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/iiot-developer-tools-receive-standard-update/

    FDT Group announced the release of its updated developer tools, known as Common Components, which are designed to enhance interoperability while accelerating time to market.

    FDT Group announced the release of its updated developer tools, known as Common Components, which support the FDT 2.1 standard. Common Components is used to simplify FDT/DTM and FDT/FRAME development in compliance with the FDT 2.1 specification. The tools are designed to enhance interoperability while accelerating time to market.

    FDT 2.1 specification’s release in 2018 set the FDT Group’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) transformation path to connect the intelligent enterprise based on industry-driven feedback across the process, hybrid, and discrete manufacturing markets. FDT 2.1 is also forward and backwards

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Future plant design links data, operations
    Manufacturers are ready to invest in next-gen digital production.
    https://www.controleng.com/articles/future-plant-design-links-data-operations/

    One of the primary elements in the transformation of the manufacturing plants is the changing nature of demand from the customers. There is sturdy economic impetus toward products that are high on precision, safe to use and safely produced, built to purpose, manufactured with less material consumption throughout the value chain, and environment friendly. While presently manufacturing is focused on productivity and performance, the future will be all about precision products. Manufacturers are supposed to accomplish this without compromising on the speed or quality. This leads to some intriguing questions pertaining to plant design. How will the plant of the future be created and managed? How will data be used for production? How will plants be structured over the next decade?

    According to a survey conducted by PwC, just 33% of manufacturing companies consider themselves to be digitally advanced in their production processes. By 2020, 72% of manufacturers intend to augment their digitalization levels and expect to be able to be ranked as digitally advanced

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    With ‘Embodied Logic’ Smart Objects Won’t Need Embedded Systems
    https://www.designnews.com/materials-assembly/embodied-logic-smart-objects-wont-need-embedded-systems/1583932660169?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=7493&elq_cid=876648

    University of Pennsylvania researchers have designed objects that can respond dynamically to their environment without motors or microcontrollers.

    This artificial Venus flytrap developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania only closes when a weight is inside and the actuator is exposed to a solvent. Structures with “embodied logic” can have even more complicated behaviors, all without motors or microcontrollers.

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto
    IoT trends; TheMoon botnet; Tesla buys Maxwell.
    https://semiengineering.com/week-in-review-iot-security-auto-31/

    McKinsey & Company identified 10 top trends in the Internet of Things. They include: IoT is a business opportunity, not just a tech opportunity; disciplined execution across multiple use cases is the path to value; and IoT is gradually enabling more subscription business models, but consumers are resistant.

    Louis Columbus of IQMS provides some IoT data points and identifies what he believes are the top 25 IoT startups out there. Venture Scanner says IoT startup funding was $16.7 billion during the fourth quarter of 2018, with all of 2018’s funding for IoT startups increasing by 94% compared with 2017.

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    January 2019
    Ten trends shaping the Internet of Things business landscape
    https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/ten-trends-shaping-the-internet-of-things-business-landscape

    Experience working on the Internet of Things indicates where the value lies.

    As we’ve worked with clients on Internet of Things (IoT) projects over the past year, we’ve noticed ten trends shaping the industry that we expect to continue in 2019.

    1. IoT is a business opportunity, not just a tech opportunity

    2. Disciplined execution across multiple use cases is the path to value

    3. IoT is gradually enabling more subscription business models, but consumers are resistant

    4. Favorable winds are blowing in heavy industrial sectors

    5. Amazon and Google have hit critical mass in connected homes

    6. Chinese IoT firms are winning locally and starting to gain ground globally

    7. Conflicts over data access are delaying business impact

    8. Cost pressures are determining whether the cloud or the ‘edge’ environment wins out as the IoT host environment

    9. Cyberattacks are not noticeably derailing existing IoT efforts

    10. Artificial intelligence (AI) has caught on in IoT in the past two years

    AI has been around in some form since the 1960s but often has generated more hype than results. While some hype remains, real use cases with valuable results are emerging, particularly around machine learning (ML), as adoption steadily increases. According to our research, AI and ML are being used in 60 percent of IoT activities. What changed? Three major things have spurred the increase in the use of AI: the convergence of algorithmic advances, data proliferation, and tremendous increases in power and storage capabilities at a lower cost. For AI and ML to scale, production-grade data platforms are needed. Clearly, business leaders expect that to happen, with adoption of AI and ML expected to outpace other technologies

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Blockchain May Be Overkill for Most IIoT Security
    Without an efficient blockchain template for IoT, other options are better.
    https://semiengineering.com/blockchain-may-be-overkill-for-most-iiot-security/

    Blockchain crops up in many of the pitches for security software aimed at the industrial IoT. However, IIoT project owners, chipmakers and OEMs should stick with security options that address the low-level, device- and data-centered security of the IIoT itself, rather than the effort to promote blockchain as a security option as well as an audit tool.

    Only about 6% of Industrial IoT (IIoT) project owners chose to build IIoT-specific security into their initial rollouts, while 44% said it would be too expensive, according to a 2018 survey commissioned by digital security provider Gemalto.

    Currently, only 48% of IoT project owners can see their devices well enough to know if there has been a breach, according to the 2019 version of Gemalto’s annual survey.

    Software packages that could fill in the gaps were few and far between.

    Still, the recognition is widespread that security is a problem with connected devices. Spending on IIoT/IoT-specific security will grow 25.1% per year, from $1.7 billion during 2018, to $5.2 billion by 2023, according to a 2018 market analysis report from BCC Research. Another study, by Juniper Research, predicts 300% growth by 2023, to just over $6 billion.

    Blockchain also can be used to track and verify sensor data, prevent duplication or the insertion of malicious data and provide ongoing verification of the identity of individual devices, according to an analysis from IBM, which promotes the use of blockchain in both technical and financial functions.

    Use of blockchain in securing IIoT/IoT assets among those polled in Gemalto’s latest survey rose to 19%, up from 9% in 2017. And 23% of respondents said they believe blockchain is an ideal solution to secure IIoT/IoT assets.

    Any security may be better than none, but some of the more popular options don’t translate well into actual IIoT-specific security, according to Michael Chen, design for security director at Mentor, a Siemens Business.

    “You have to look at it carefully, know what you’re trying to accomplish and what the security level is,” Chen said. “Public blockchain is great for things like the stock exchange or buying a home, because on a public blockchain with 50,000 people if you wanted to cheat you’d have to get more than 50% to cooperate. Securing IIoT devices, even across a supply chain, is going to be a lot smaller group, which wouldn’t be much reassurance that something was accurate. And meanwhile, we’re still trying to figure out how to do root of trust and key management and a lot of other things that are a different and more of an immediate challenge.”

    Others agree. “Using blockchain to track the current location and state of an IoT device is probably not a good use of the technology,”

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*