The Importance of Cybersecurity for Your Smart Devices

AI vs. IoT

Recently, everyone has been talking about artificial intelligence: will it help in work or vice versa - will it completely replace a person? This topic became so popular that it overshadowed almost all other news in the field of information technology.

AI is heard from all sides; it seems that even household appliances have started talking about it. And this is not surprising, because a lot of technology and devices that surround us are smart.

For some reason, against the background of the active discussion of artificial intelligence, IT specialists forgot about such an interesting and widespread industry as IoT or the Internet of Things.

Not so long ago, in 2019, the number of "smart" devices that were connected to the network was about 9 billion. And by 2030, their number will almost triple and will amount to almost 30 billion!

Unbelievable! Even for me as an IoT expert with more than 6 years of experience in the industry, this number seems impressive.

Smart Devices and Personal Data

But it's not just about quantity. Many of these devices are actively used in people's lives and have access to personal data, including video files, information about health, housing, local networks, and more.

Even though some manufacturers conscientiously follow all the rules and meet quality standards, including cyber security, this does not reduce the risk of getting a product with vulnerabilities, which can lead to the leakage of personal information and personal data.

Most people I know treat cybersecurity like a disease that has progressed into an incurable stage — taking action when it's too late. Yes, some of the readers of this portal are closely connected with IT and most likely periodically had to change passwords to email/laptop/account.

Of course, everything depends on the security policies of the company; the requirements can be more serious, but I am sure that everyone changed passwords.

What about people who keep up with the times but are not very involved with IT and have never changed the default "admin/admin" on their home router? Are there any here? If so - like this article, comment, repost to friends - it will be useful.

The above-mentioned router is just one of a large number of Internet of Things items that require proper cyber hygiene. This is exactly hygiene. Like washing your hands, using cyber protection regularly will help you sleep better.

An Application That Will Help You Understand Cybersecurity

I had an idea to create a mobile application that would help people without technical experience to understand how cyber-secure their smart devices are. The application will be free of charge and will allow the user to choose the type, brand, and model of the desired device.

After that, the algorithm for determining the level of security begins.

The existing functions and characteristics of the device are analyzed, and as a conclusion, a cybersecurity assessment and recommendations for further use are provided.

The application is planned to be released for iOS and Android platforms. The algorithm will be constantly improved according to the latest cybersecurity standards, and of course, the device base will be increased as well.

Dear HackerNoon community, how interesting such an application would be for you, and whether you would recommend it to your friends?