Top Five Sectors of IoT: Use Cases and Security

In our globalized world, everything is interconnected. In accordance with Aruba’s research, 77 percent of business leaders consider IoT to be just the beginning of how technology can transform the way we do business. Unlike other innovative technologies, IoT allows users to improve their lives and experiences in real time.

A lot of companies have already seen a significant improvement in their business operations by introducing IoT into their workplace. Here are some statistics introduced by Aruba in their research report on IoT:

Enterprises

Global organizations are exploiting IoT to the utmost. 72 percent of enterprises have implemented IoT devices (mobiles, air conditioning systems, lighting systems, etc.) in their work to boost labor productivity.

Enterprises leverage utilities that can be monitored remotely. IoT allows companies to track their assets by location. Most organizations that introduce the Internet of Things into their workplace prove that they noted considerable improvements in the effectiveness of their information technology departments. A lot of firms admit that they enhanced profitability with the launch of IoT products.

Industry

Executives of industrial enterprises showed a great interest in the use of chemical sensors and systems reducing operational risks and solving the problems of downtime. A great part of organizations wants to use IoT for monitoring the operation infrastructure as there is a constant need to connect modern machines with legacy technology.

Those leaders who have already introduced IoT in their organizations, admit that they noted the improvements in effectiveness, visibility, and renovation. They believe that smart devices will help them enter new markets.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry is likely to be the industry that uses big data and IoT devices most of all. The key benefits it gets from the Internet of Things are the reduction of costs and the enhancement of innovation. A lot of organizations all over the world use patient monitors, X-ray devices, trackers, and other wearables connected to the network. As a result of IoT introduction in the healthcare organizations, costs have been significantly cut.

Retail

The Internet of Things evolution has added value to retail business operations. The most popular app providing better customer experience creates store location services. Customers are able to get personalized messages containing special offers and shopping information. Most retailers using IoT say that it enhanced the buying experience and business profit.

Government

Unfortunately, governments don’t take the first place in the list of early adopters of IoT. However, they are showing some progress by connecting vehicles, building security systems, street lights to build smart cities. A good example of how governments are implementing IoT into city environments is the initiation of remote monitoring of devices within the city boundaries. Those who adopted the new technologies admit that those saved costs and enhanced visibility within their system.

How Secure Is the IoT

It’s obvious that IoT brings a bunch of benefits and new opportunities to businesses all over the world. However, there are some threats that the Internet of Things faces. A larger part of organizations leveraging IoT devices doesn’t extract, analyze, and use the data from networks. Most business leaders face a certain number of problems that block the efficient use of IoT (the price of implementation, maintenance, integration of legacy software, etc.), which can lead to the IoT-related attacks and breaches. The most frequent breaches are a result of malware, spyware, and human errors. Such risks should be prevented, and even an innocuous IoT device should not be run unsecured. Kevin Ashton, the person who first came up with the phrase “The Internet of Things,” recommends creating a well-thought-out plan to keep your systems safe.

To securely introduce and launch IoT, global organizations have to do their best to prevent attacks and breaches. It means that not only IT departments must care for the security, but business leaders as well. A good start is to find the interconnection between IoT and business goals and then to divide these goals into four groups, like innovation, profitability, visibility, and safety. Define how IoT is important to your organization and take measures to keep it safe and secure.