{"id":339,"date":"2016-01-04T08:07:36","date_gmt":"2016-01-04T14:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/?p=339"},"modified":"2016-01-04T08:07:36","modified_gmt":"2016-01-04T14:07:36","slug":"fourth-age-of-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/2016\/01\/04\/fourth-age-of-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fourth Age of the Internet &#8211; the Internet of Things"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We are now in\u00a0what I call the &#8220;Fourth Age&#8221; of the Internet. \u00a0The First Age was the original interconnected network (or &#8220;Internet&#8221;)\u00a0of computers using\u00a0the TCP\/IP protocol,\u00a0with &#8220;killer apps&#8221; such as e-mail, telnet, FTP, and Gopher mostly used by the US government and educational organizations. The Second Age began with the creation\u00a0of\u00a0the HTTP protocol in 1990 and the original static World Wide Web (Web 1.0). The birth of the consumer internet, the advent of e-commerce, and 90&#8217;s dot-com boom (and bust in the early 2000&#8217;s) occurred during the Second Age. The Third Age began in the 2000&#8217;s with\u00a0the rise of\u00a0user-generated content, dynamic web pages, and web-based applications (Web 2.0). The Third Age has seen the advent\u00a0of cloud computing, mobile and embedded commerce, complex e-marketing, viral online content, real-time Internet communication, and Internet and Web access through smartphones and tablets. The Fourth Age is\u00a0the explosion\u00a0of Internet-connected\u00a0devices, and the corresponding explosion of data generated by these devices &#8211; the &#8220;Internet of Things&#8221; through\u00a0which the Internet further moves\u00a0from\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">something we\u00a0use\u00a0actively<\/span> to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">something our\u00a0devices use actively, and we use passively<\/span>. The Internet of Things\u00a0has the potential to dramatically alter how we live and work.<\/p>\n<p>As we move deeper into the Fourth Age, there are three things which need to be considered\u00a0and addressed by businesses, consumers and others invested in the consumer Internet of Things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The terms consumers associate with the Internet of Things, e.g., &#8220;smart devices,&#8221; should\u00a0be defined\u00a0before &#8220;smart device&#8221; and &#8220;Internet of Things device&#8221; become synonymous\u00a0in the minds of consumers.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0As more companies, retailers, manufacturers, and others jump on the &#8220;connected world&#8221; bandwagon, more and more devices are being labeled as &#8220;smart devices.&#8221; \u00a0We have smart\u00a0TVs, smart\u00a0toasters, smart\u00a0fitness trackers, smart watches, smart\u00a0luggage tags, and more (computers, smartphones and tables belong\u00a0in a separate category). But what does &#8220;smart&#8221; mean? \u00a0To me, a &#8220;smart device&#8221; is one that has the ability not only to\u00a0collect and process data and take general actions based on the data (e.g., sound an alarm), but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">can be configured to take user-configured actions<\/span> (e.g., send a text alert to a specified email address) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and\/or can share information with another device<\/span> (e.g., a monitoring unit which connects wirelessly to a base station). But does a &#8220;smart device&#8221; automatically mean one connected to the Internet of Things? \u00a0I would argue that it does not.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">Throughout its Ages, the Internet has connected different types of devices using a common protocol, e.g., TCP\/IP for computers and servers, HTTP for web-enabled devices. A\u00a0smart device must do something similar\u00a0to be connected to the Internet of Things. However, there is\u00a0no single standard communications protocol or method for\u00a0IoT devices. If a smart device\u00a0uses one of the emerging IoT communications protocols such as\u00a0Zigbee or Z-Wave (&#8220;IoT Protocols&#8221;), or has an open API to allow other devices and device ecosystems such as SmartThings, Wink or IFTTT to connect to it (&#8220;IoT APIs&#8221;), it&#8217;s an IoT-connected smart device, or &#8220;IoT device.&#8221; If a device doesn&#8217;t use IoT Protocols or support IoT APIs, it may be a smart device, but it&#8217;s not an IoT device.\u00a0For example, a water leak monitor that sounds a loud alarm if it detects water is a device. \u00a0A water leak monitor\u00a0that sends an alert to a smartphone app via a central hub, but cannot connect to other devices or device ecosystems, is a smart device. \u00a0Only if that device uses\u00a0an IoT Protocol or support IoT APIs to allow it to interconnect with other devices or device ecosystems is an IoT device.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">&#8220;Organic&#8221; began as a term to define natural methods of farming. \u00a0However, over time it became overused and synonymous with &#8220;healthy.&#8221; \u00a0Players in the consumer IoT space should be careful not to let key IoT terminology suffer the same fate. Defining what makes a smart device part of the Internet of Things will be essential\u00a0as smart devices continue to proliferate.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Smart devices and IoT devices exacerbate network and device security issues.<\/strong>\u00a0Consumers embracing the Internet of Things and connected homes may not realize\u00a0that adding smart devices and IoT devices to a home network can create\u00a0new security issues and headaches. For example, a wearable device with a Bluetooth security vulnerability could be infected with malware while you&#8217;re using it, and infect your home network once you return and sync it with your home computer or device. \u00a0While\u00a0there are proposals for a common set of security and privacy controls for IoT devices such as the IoT Trust Framework, nothing has been adopted by the industry as of yet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">Think of your home network, and your connected devices, like landscaping. \u00a0You can install a little or a lot, all at one or over time. \u00a0Often, you have a professional do it to ensure it is done right. Once it&#8217;s installed, you can&#8217;t just forget about it &#8212; you have to care for it, through watering, trimming, etc. Occasionally, you may need to apply treatments to avoid diseases. If you don&#8217;t care for your landscaping, it will get overgrown; weeds,\u00a0invasive plants (some poisonous)\u00a0and diseases may\u00a0find their way\u00a0in; and you ultimately\u00a0have a bigger, harder, more expensive mess to clean up later on.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">You need to\u00a0tend your home network like landscaping, only if you don&#8217;t tend your home network the consequences can be much worse than overgrown shrubbery. Many consumers are less comfortable tinkering with computers than they are tinkering with landscaping. \u00a0Router and\u00a0smart device manufacturers periodically\u00a0update the embedded\u00a0software (or &#8220;firmware&#8221;) that\u00a0runs those devices to fix bugs and to address security vulnerabilities. Software and app developers similarly periodically\u00a0release updated software. Consumers need to monitor for updates to firmware and software regularly, and apply them promptly once available. \u00a0If a device manufacturer goes out of business or stops supporting a device, consider replacing it as it will no longer receive security updates. Routers need to be properly configured, with usernames and strong passwords set, encryption enabled, network names (SSID) configured, etc. \u00a0Consumers with a connected home setup should consider a high-speed router with sufficient bandwidth such as 802.11ac or 802.11n.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">The\u00a0third party managed IT services industry has\u00a0existed\u00a0since the Second Age.\u00a0As connected homes proliferate resulting in complex connected home infrastructure, there is an opportunity for &#8220;managed home IT&#8221; to become a viable business model. \u00a0I expect companies currently offering consumer-focused computer\u00a0repair and home networking\u00a0services will look hard at adding connected home management services (installation, monitoring, penetration testing, etc.) as a new subscription-based service.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Smart device companies need to think of what they can\/can&#8217;t, and\u00a0should\/shouldn&#8217;t, do with data generated from their devices.<\/strong> \u00a0IoT devices and smart devices, and connected home technologies and gateways,\u00a0generate\u00a0a\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">lot<\/span> of data. \u00a0Smart\/IoT device manufacturers and connected home providers\u00a0need to think about\u00a0how to store, process and dispose of this data. \u00a0Prior to the Internet of Things, behavioral data was gathered through the websites you viewed, the\u00a0searches you ran, the links you clicked &#8211; &#8220;online behavioral data.&#8221;\u00a0 The IoT is a game-changer. Now, what users do in the real world with their connected devices can translate to a new class of behavioral data &#8211; &#8220;device\u00a0behavioral data.&#8221; Smart\/IoT device manufacturers, and connected home providers, will need to understand what legal boundaries govern their use of\u00a0device\u00a0behavioral data, and how existing laws (e.g., COPPA) apply to the collection and use of data through new technologies. Additionally, companies must look at what industry best practices, industry guidelines and rules, consumer expectations and sentiment, and other non-legal contours shape what companies should and should not do with the data, even if the use is legal. \u00a0Companies must consider how long to keep data, and how to ensure it&#8217;s purged out of their systems once the retention period ends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 37px;\">IoT and smart device companies, and connected home service and technology providers, should build privacy and data management compliance into the design of their devices and their systems by adopting a &#8220;security by design&#8221; and &#8220;privacy by design&#8221; mindset. Consumers expect that personal data about them\u00a0will be kept secure and not misused.\u00a0They must\u00a0ensure their own privacy policies clearly say what they do with device behavioral data, and not\u00a0do anything outside the boundaries of their\u00a0privacy policy (&#8220;say what you do, do what you say&#8221;). Consider contextual disclosures making sure the consumer clearly understands what you do with device behavioral data. \u00a0Each new Age of the Internet has seen the FTC, state Attorneys General, and other consumer regulatory bodies look at\u00a0how companies are using consumer data, and make examples of those they believe are misusing it. The Fourth Age will be no different.\u00a0Companies seeking to\u00a0monetize device behavioral data must make sure that they\u00a0have a focus on data compliance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are now in\u00a0what I call the &#8220;Fourth Age&#8221; of the Internet. \u00a0The First Age was the original interconnected network (or &#8220;Internet&#8221;)\u00a0of computers using\u00a0the TCP\/IP protocol,\u00a0with &#8220;killer apps&#8221; such as e-mail, telnet, FTP, and Gopher mostly used by the US &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/2016\/01\/04\/fourth-age-of-the-internet\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,8,10,12],"tags":[71,109,110,124,138],"class_list":["post-339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal","category-nonlegal","category-privacy","category-technology","tag-data-security","tag-internet-of-things","tag-iot","tag-marketing","tag-personalized-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericlambert.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}