Today's Predictions for Tomorrow's Internet
By Department of Homeland Security - Published, October 16, 2017
Smart cities, connected devices, digitized records, as well as smart cars and homes have become a new reality, and your sensitive, personal information is the fuel that makes smart devices work. While there are tremendous benefits of this technology, it is critical to understand how to use these cutting-edge innovations in safe and secure ways.
The Internet of Things refers to any object or device that sends and/or receives data
automatically via the Internet. This rapidly-expanding set of “things” includes tags (also
known as labels or chips that automatically track objects), sensors, and devices that
interact with people and share information machine to machine.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
- Cars, appliances, wearables, lighting, healthcare, and home security all contain
sensing devices that can talk to another machine and trigger other actions. Examples
include: devices that direct your car to an open spot in a parking lot; mechanisms that
control energy use in your home; and other tools that track your eating, sleeping, and
exercise habits.
- This technology provides a level of convenience to our lives, but it requires that we share
more information than ever. The security of this information, and the security of these
devices, is not always guaranteed.
- Though many security and resilience risks are not new, the scale of interconnectedness
created by the Internet of Things increases the consequences of known risks and creates
new ones.
SIMPLE TIPS
Without a doubt, the Internet of Things makes our lives easier and has many benefits; but we
can only reap these benefits if our Internet-enabled devices are secure and trusted. Here are
some tips to increase the security of your Internet-enabled devices:
- Keep a clean machine. Like your smartphone or PC, keep any device that connects to the
Internet free from viruses and malware. Update the software regularly on the device itself
as well as the apps you use to control the device.
- Think twice about your device. Have a solid understanding of how a device works,
the nature of its connection to the Internet, and the type of information it stores and
transmits.
- Secure your network. Properly secure the wireless network you use to connect Internet-enabled
devices.
View the Tip Sheet.