IoT and Risk

[George Prattos]

 

This entry aims at compiling a detailed list of technical and societal risks associated with the IoT and how well they are being managed. This requires an understanding of their extent and implications, the degree to which these risks are being addressed during product development and deployment, and potential regulatory requirements. Please add your thoughts and observations to the Wiki page below.

 

[Geoff Sizer]

Question from 5-Jul Webinar: 

More a comment, but the IoT would provide opportunities for companies to monitor their real-time risk. Especially condition of equipment and plant. What impact do you think this will have on WHS and relevant authorities, relating to the standard of safety across the board?

Answer:

The IoT offers significant opportunities to enhance workplace occupational health and safety.

For example, workers can have their vital signs monitored and assessed in real-time. http://www.iothub.com.au/news/laing-orourke-brings-iot-to-hard-hats-412008

Another example is the ability to track service personnel on the road using GPS, register their presence on-site using RFID and monitor their presence on-site using body-worn vital sign monitoring sensors,  communicating in real time via meshed wireless local area networks.

Machine safety monitoring,  geo-fencing etc are well established, but can be cost-effectively extended to more environments using low-cost IoT technology.

[Geoff Sizer]

Question from 5-Jul Webinar: 

Vehicle M2M IoT could have saved the primary failure leading to a fatal Tesla car in America. Should it not be mandated that all engineered devices have IoT capability integrated and applied?

Answer:

Market forces as opposed to Government mandates tend to drive the adoption of new technologies.  This is certainly the case for IoT.

When technology matures to the point where reliable, cost-effective solutions can provide demonstrable safety or security advantages, technology-based solutions to significant problems are from time to time written into regulatory standards and mandated.

This may well happen in the case of autonomous vehicles – where "what technology is able to do" appears to have outstripped "what technology can safely do".  Over time, IoT based solutions may help resolve this – albeit security and anti-hacking measures must be foolproof.

Similar scenarios may evolve in other safety-critical applications.

 

[Geoff Sizer]

Question from 5-Jul Webinar: 

Have the security implications of IOT for use in critical infrastructure been resolved? Recent Ukraine cyber-attacks are a concern, and connecting utilities to public internet is potentially very risky.

Answer:

Security and privacy issues around the IoT are the same as those relating to the Internet generally, and in particular M2M and SCADA systems.  As IoT systems proliferate, the security issues grow also.

Unless solved, security issues will be a major inhibitor to IoT proliferation.  This is an area where engineers have a major role - indeed, an obligation - to contribute to solutions.

Blockchain technology is put forward as a solution si some of the problems - but whether it is bullet proof, time will tell.