It might sound like a sequel to the Iliad, but in reality, the IoT—or “internet of things”—is a tale of the here and now. All you have to do is look into your pocket or around your home to see what the IoT has done to our contemporary perception of “normal.”
From app-controlled toasters and thermostats to Bluetooth connected fitness collars for dogs, more items are getting connected to the internet as part of the growing web of “smart” devices.
What’s that mean in the bigger story of your business?
The IoT in Business
The IoT has taken the consumer market by storm, but it’s also made a stand in professional environments in incredible ways. It’s transformed parts of manufacturing and opened a whole new world of virtual medicine with data from biometric smart devices.
Even in “standard” office business environments, sensors talk to smartphones that talk to computers…and before you know it, everything is connected.
David and His Shared Data
Meet David, an employee at company X. David was a productive guy and a pretty tech-savvy worker. He had a company cell phone and a personal one. Each phone was connected to a combination of apps that managed everything from the speaker-equipped lightbulb in his office to the camera inside his fridge.
David could start dinner at the tap of a screen before he was even home. He regularly had Alexa play Eye of the Tiger across the smart speakers in his office, too, and then at home upon arrival.
But one day, David’s work phone was compromised. Neither he nor the company ever knew were the hacker got through. It was all they could do just to handle the ransomware demand that followed.
Security in the IoT
David’s company ended up paying the ransomware demand just to get back to business. They didn’t have a contingency plan for that kind of threat, and it came at a time when business was going so well that they couldn’t handle downtime without hanging dozens of new clients out to dry.
Remember, everything that’s connected to the internet can be hacked.
When looking at security vulnerabilities in the IoT, there’s also the matter of surveillance and the observation of users. That all sounds pretty intimidating for the business owner trying to integrate productive new technologies into regular business.
Fortunately, IT professionals and service providers today are quickly addressing new business needs. Start in your own organization by securing devices today with these high-level tips for “mobile device management,” or MDM.
You can even learn how MDM helps with productivity. It’s a win-win when your business taking proactive steps to stay secure, because you also continue to integrate top tech that boosts performance.
That way, your whole team can do a little more business and a little less dancing to Survivor.
Contact us today to learn more about the IoT and how to use it securely in your business.