More devices and appliances connecting to the Internet brings exciting implications to the world of integrated living. Machine to machine (M2M) communications give rise to the concept of automated home living, with smoke detectors that automatically contact the fire department in an emergency, or locks that can be activated from a smartphone. However, as more things rely on the Internet as a tool, the possibility that they could be tampered with by a hacker increases.
That's why Mocana, which just received $15 million in funding, is taking security steps now before such home integration takes place, so they can be ready when it does. The mobile security company is focusing on making Wi-Fi-enabled devices and routers safer and more secure, so that only those with explicit permissions can use them.
On its own, Mocana has already raised around $50 million in this security enterprise, and already protects products from more than 300 of the most popular device manufacturers, including General Dynamics, Cisco and Honeywell.
This is a very important step in the evolution of the Internet of Things, because a downside to everything being so much more accessible is how simple it is for an intruder to gain access to the same system. Already people are using printers and other Wi-Fi compatible devices remotely without the owner's permissions, so connecting a home's locks to the same system might not seem so smart.
Making these systems more secure is of paramount importance because the industry will grow, whether security systems are prepared for it or not. Analysts at Gartner predict that by 2020, the Internet of Things (IoT) will become a $300-billion industry, and that modern Internet devices like PCs, tablets and smartphones will only make up a fraction of the devices that will use the Internet.
According to Gartner's research director Peter Middleton, “By 2020, the number of smartphones, tablets and PCs in use will reach about 7.3 billion units. In contrast, the IoT will have expanded at a much faster rate, resulting in a population of about 26 billion units at that time.” Ready or not, here it comes, so Mocana only has a short period of time to make security preparations.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
