What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things means extending the concept of the Internet to the connection between physical devices and everyday objects.

The Internet of Things (IoT for short) refers to the real-time collection of any object or process that needs to be monitored, connected and interacted through information sensors, radio frequency identification technology, global positioning system, infrared sensors, laser scanners and other devices and technologies, and the collection of sound, light, heat, electricity, machinery, chemistry, biology and location information, and access through various possible networks.

Realize the ubiquitous connection between things and people, and realize the intelligent perception, recognition and management of things and processes. Internet of Things is an information carrier based on Internet and traditional telecommunication network, which makes all ordinary physical objects that can be addressed independently form an internet.

These devices are embedded with electronic devices, network connections and other forms of hardware, which can communicate and interact with others through the network and can be monitored remotely. The definition of Internet of Things is constantly changing with the integration of various real-time technologies. These technologies include: analysis, machine learning, commercial sensors and embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, control systems, automation (including home and building automation) and other traditional fields are all helpful to realize the Internet of Things.

Security of Internet of Things

The traditional Internet is mature and widely used, but there are still security loopholes. As a new product, the Internet of Things has a more complex structure, no unified standard, and more prominent security issues in all aspects. The key technology is sensor network. In the natural environment where sensors are exposed, especially some sensors placed in harsh environment, how to maintain the integrity of the network for a long time puts forward new requirements for sensor technology, and the sensor network must have self-healing function.

This is not only influenced by environmental factors, but also by human factors. RFID is another key technology, that is, putting electronic tags into items in advance to achieve real-time monitoring, which will inevitably expose some personal privacy to some tag owners, and the security of personal information is problematic.

Not only personal information security, but also cooperation between enterprises and countries is quite common now. Once the network is attacked, the consequences will be even more unimaginable. In the process of using the Internet of Things, how to achieve the balance between informatization and security is very important.

Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Internet of Things