According to The Register, one of the biggest barriers to the Internet of Things (IoT) advancing how people use technology is, well, people – especially when they fall in love with data.
When decision makers and end users alike become enamored with data, they often overlook which pieces of data they need and use. “There’s a perception that you can get any and all data and then think about it later. You need use cases,” Ben Howes, founder of IoT specialist Zoetrope told The Register.
To advance IoT and avoid an obsession with data, decision makers should consider designing systems that are small and focused on producing good results. Once things run smoothly at a smaller level with clearly defined data points, decision makers can build from there. “If you feed it into a machine learning algorithm, those programs can’t explain how they decide things,” Richard Soley, CEO of the Object Management Group, told The Register. “You’ll screw it up eventually because you’ll feed it data that you won’t understand later.”
Another way decision makers can keep their data sights laser-focused is by keeping security and data protection at the top of their lists. The Register suggests that decision makers keep asking themselves how hackers might break in and nab crucial data, including any network loopholes, supply chain weaknesses, or even ways competitors may have muddled with report information on inventory and sales data.
Decision makers should also keep in mind “the usual security thinking and practices,” such as encryption, use of passwords, and others. “Ensuring that no one has tampered with your data – either incoming data for analytics or outgoing data for controlling devices in the field – should be a top priority for IoT teams,” according to The Register.
Manpower can help keep data safe, too. This can be seen through risk processes and practices instilled into a company by decision makers, including ongoing risk assessment, and threat detection and response. Here is where showing a little love towards data might actually come in handy, The Register suggests: “That ongoing aspect is important, because the nature of IoT means the threats and attacks are constantly evolving while you will often be acting without all the information… Armed with some basic best practices and knowledge of the common pitfalls, though, you can at least proceed with a rough map – even if you do find yourself filling in some gaps yourself along the way.”
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