Tech Trends for 2022 and Beyond

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The Internet of Things Michael Palis University Professor Department of Computer Science Rutgers University-Camden

In 2022 and beyond, we will witness rapid growth in IoT deployments across industry sectors. In simple terms, IoT (Internet of Things) extends network connectivity to physical devices and everyday objects that are equipped with sensors, actuators, embedded computers and communication interfaces. These devices enable them to generate, exchange and consume data via private networks or the public internet with minimal human intervention. IoT is here, now – already it has given rise to innovative applications in sectors as diverse as health care (remote monitoring and patient care), industrial automation (asset tracking, predictive maintenance), smart buildings and homes, transportation (fleet management, connected vehicles), entertainment (augmented reality) and wearable devices. Analysts predict that by 2025, there will be over 55 billion connected devices worldwide.

Despite its rapid growth, IoT faces important challenges such as interoperability. The lack of interoperability due to vendor lock-in, incompatibility between different transport protocols (eg, WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee) and the absence of standards is preventing IoT from realizing its full potential. Clearly, IoT standardization is key. Fortunately, many technology companies and IoT platform providers are now working collaboratively to address interoperability by adopting standards and promoting open-source development.

Another challenge is security. The ever-growing breadth of IoT devices provides new opportunities for attackers to hack into these devices and penetrate the networks to which they are connected. Most of these attacks stem from simple security problems, such as insufficiently protected credentials, lack of encryption and unpatched / outdated software. Unfortunately, IoT security often gets neglected by device manufacturers and the organizations that use them. For IoT security to be effective, what is needed is a collaborative approach that brings all parties together to take steps to make devices and their uses more secure.

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