A Socially-Distant Internet of Things

We’re on month 10 – give or take a few – of the most dramatic societal upheaval in decades. No one is completely immune from the direct or tangential effects of COVID-19, but as I mentioned last month (and again on the PSDcast), our industry is only somewhat public-facing (and we were designated “essential” from the very beginning), so we’ve weathered this global pandemic nicely.

On the other hand, this month’s topic (the Internet of Things) would, at least in theory, suffer ill effects from a global quarantine – we’re all still playing with our phones, tablets, and consumer devices indoors, but if we’re not venturing out, then a major component of the IoT (connected vehicles) is absent.

And of course, if business is slow (or non-existent), then the Industrial IoT would be a complete non-factor.

But because we’re a BtB industry, and due in no small part to the Semiconductor Industry Association’s lobbying to have us classified as “essential infrastructure” and/or “essential business,” we haven’t just stayed afloat, but other than a venue change (if employees worked remotely), we’ve thrived from the very beginning.

And that brings us back to this month’s editorial focus. To say that our entire industry is moving towards the IoT would be selling it short – everything electronic will eventually serve the IoT directly or obliquely. So October’s clarion call drew a wide variety of responses.

Morse Micro follows up on their previous PSDcast with us – “A Wi-Fi System w/ 10x the Normal Range” – with a deeper discussion of Wi-Fi HaLow and what it means for wireless technology and the IoT. Needless to say, something that can extend Wi-Fi’s reach that dramatically could change the very nature of communications.

But why now?

“The higher demands for long-range connectivity and low power requirements for many IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications are ushering in Wi-Fi HaLow at an increasingly faster rate this year and for the years ahead,” says Morse Micro’s Chief Operating Officer, Vahid Manian.

The other piece I’d like to highlight deals with one of the most fundamental of all concerns, security. Connecting that many systems and devices across the globe is a goldmine for hackers. Even a minor incursion could do catastrophic damage across a wide area – when you factor in compromised defense systems, the potential fallout is horrifying.

And it’s no longer theoretical.

“Malware attacks targeting IoT devices are up 50% over the past year,” writes Alan Grau from Sectigo. “IoT security is no longer just about protecting data; a successful cyberattack on these systems now risks health and safety.”

Enjoy the Read!

Best Regards,

Jason Lomberg

North American Editor, PSD