How to Take Back Control of Your Data in a Connected IoT
In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over data.
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Updated November 2026. This was first published on 6 December 2022. The idea is the same. Any number below is what the original piece said then. It is not a new count.
Key takeaways
- In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over data.
- This data is what fuels many business operations.
- With so many connected devices, personal information is being collected and shared in ways people may not even be aware of.
In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over data. This data is what fuels many business operations. With so many connected devices, personal information is being collected and shared in ways people may not even be aware of. But it is the duty of businesses who collect and use this data to ensure privacy and security. This article will discuss how to regain control of your data in a connected IoT world, providing strategies and tips for securing your data.
The World of IoT #
In the modern world, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become commonplace in our lives. Currently, there are around 11.28 billion IoT devices used. According to Statista, the numbers are expected to increase to 29.42 billion by 2030. Moreover, IDC predicts that IoT devices will generate around 80B zettabytes of data by 2025.
The number of IoT devices keeps growing exponentially, from smart home devices to connected cars and speakers to smart home devices. Hence, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of the data that is being collected and shared. This lack of transparency throughout the IoT data ecosystem can lead to breaches. Thus, the number of data breaches is increasing with the number of connected IoT devices. In fact, a CNET article states that data breaches rose by 68% year-over-year in 2021.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to take back control of your data and protect your privacy. You can use several technologies to ensure the privacy and security of IoT data, and one such technology is blockchain.
The Blockchain Breakthrough #
Blockchain technology is a revolutionary way of securely storing and sharing data in a decentralized manner. It is a distributed ledger technology that uses cryptographic techniques to store data securely and transparently. The same technology facilitates all cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and others.
Using a computer network, each transaction is recorded and stored in a public ledger, making it virtually impossible to alter or delete. This makes blockchain technology an ideal solution for ensuring transparency in various industries, as it allows for the secure and transparent transfer of data between multiple parties.
Also, blockchain technology can be used to verify the authenticity of data, making it a powerful tool for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of data. Using blockchain technology, businesses can ensure that their data is secure and transparent, allowing them to build trust with their customers.
Many such blockchain ledgers exist for gathering, storing, and sharing IoT data on a transparent digital ledger. This decentralized machine network uses blockchain to link internet-connected low-power IoT devices (such as routers and microchips) to one another.
IoTA is another company that uses blockchain networks for facilitating temper-proof data and quick transactions. IoTA also has an Industry Marketplace for automated trading of industrial IoT data, goods, and services through smart contracts. Likewise, there’s also IoTeX, SmartAxiom, UBIRCH, Grid+, and many more. You can develop and use a similar blockchain network for storing and sharing your IoT data transparently.
Such a blockchain network can help with the smooth and transparent sharing of data for continuous business operations. Moreover, since the data will be stored on a decentralized network, it will also become extremely secure, meaning your IoT data will remain out of reach of cyber attackers.
Consider an example of a logistics company. Logistics companies delivering food or pharmaceutical containers must maintain a certain temperature limit. IoT sensors can help monitor the temperatures. But by using blockchain here, logistics companies can share temperature data gathered by IoT sensors efficiently and securely. Moreover, the quick blockchain transactions will also ensure real-time data sharing. This means the data IoT sensors collect will not have to go through multiple servers to reach your systems. You can also track other such IoT data with blockchain. For instance, the Oregon-based Curry & Company uses IoT with blockchain for its product inspection, processing, inventory, environment, and other data, leading to a streamlined logistics network.
Know Your IoT Devices #
Another thing to worry about for businesses is the originality of the data. Since data will be abundant, it becomes essential to trace the data to its source. For instance, suppose a company uses hundred IoT sensors to fetch data from a single machine. Now imagine that two or three of the 100 sensors malfunction simultaneously. This means that the data they gather will also be faulty. This can impair the insights you are trying to generate with the data. Hence, tracing back the IoT data to its source is vital to ensure that you can eliminate inaccurate data for better insights.
The data generated by IoT devices can provide valuable insights into the efficiency of the operations and the quality of the products being shipped. Knowing the data source can help the company make better decisions and improve its processes. Blockchain’s traceability feature can help by allowing the company to trace the data back to its source. This helps the company ensure that the data is accurate and reliable and comes from the right source. With blockchain’s traceability feature, the logistics company can gain greater visibility into their operations and make better decisions.
Finding the Middle Ground #
Using IoT data is vital to ensure smooth business operations. But, if you do that, it is also essential to maintain optimal security. You cannot go with one and ignore the other. Hence, finding a middle ground is essential, and blockchain offers an excellent middle ground.
With blockchain technology, you can maintain a high level of IoT data ownership. Thus, you will get your customers’ and the people involved’ trust that you have complete control and transparency over the data you collect and use for better services.
Final Words #
IoT data security can seem challenging to ensure. But, businesses cannot afford to ignore it in this regard. The cost of missing this IoT revolution by not adopting it and the risk of losing data to cyber attacks is high. Businesses can find a middle ground and use IoT innovation and blockchain technology as we move into an era of ever-greater connectivity by taking control of their data.
Questions and answers #
What is the main point? #
In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over data.
What else did the original piece say? #
This data is what fuels many business operations.