Internet Of Things (IoT), Page 5 Category

Beacons happen to be an integral component of IoT technology and are transforming the functioning of diverse industrial domains at a fast pace. The concept of Beacon was launched in 2013 by Apple and has progressed a long way since then. Take a look at these amazing stats concerning beacon technology.

A 2020 report by Statista states: “The market value of Beacons technology was 519.6 million USD in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 59.8% such that the market value will shoot up to 56.6 Billion USD by 2026.”

This post takes you on an insightful journey into the world of Beacons! So, let’s explore comprehensive aspects of the Beacon technology – types of Beacons, benefits of Beacons, IoT applications using beacons, and many more.

A Beacon is a small wireless device that continually transmits a radio signal displaying its presence with its unique ID. This signal is captured by nearby smart devices, mostly smartphones that use BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology. The smartphone device detects the signal sent by the beacon by reading its identification number (ID) and then calculates how far away the beacon is located. Based on this information, an action is triggered on a mobile app compatible with a beacon.

Beacons utilize proximity technology for detecting human presence within close vicinity and then trigger pre-set actions for delivering contextual, informational, and personalized experiences. As such, beacons are employed in IoT (Internet of Things) networks as well as outdoor/indoor positioning systems.

There exists a wide variety of beacons. Beacons vary as per their size, use cases, battery life, and degree of resistance to exogenous factors. Take a look at the different variants of beacons that emerged to accommodate diverse business requirements!

A beacon consists of a battery-powered small ARM computer with a CPU and a Bluetooth Smart connectivity module. And, for running this module, firmware is installed within beacons. Its computing power is limited as the maximum Bluetooth Smart playout is only 257 bytes – inadequate for inserting media content. Therefore, it can be used to encrypt a beacon’s ID and process sensor data. There exists a small antenna within the CPU which is designed for broadcasting electromagnetic waves with a length and frequency of 2.4 GHz radio waves. On account of the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) estimate, this technology is useful for location and mapping services.

The eco-system of the beacon technology consists of an SDK, beacon devices, and back-end management tools. Also, noise-reduction algorithms are present to smoothen the signals and lead to fairer outcomes.

A beacon continuously broadcasts an identifier – a unique ID number. Once, a mobile device picks up the identifier and gets connected; the beacon accomplishes the function that it has been programmed to execute. When a user enters the zone where an IoT network containing beacons or a positioning system is established; they receive a code through a text message on their mobile devices. Such a message can be sent only via a mobile app in the form of a push notification.

Beacon IoT apps are installed within smartphone operating systems following any one of the beacon standards – iBeacon standard for Apple smartphone devices: iOS7 and higher versions; and Eddystone standard for Android mobile devices: Android4 onwards. Lastly, the smartphone user must give permission for enabling beacon-based notifications and using a particular positioning system.

Beacon-infused smart shelves assist retailers to comprehend consumer preferences, identify customer demands, and enable speedy and effortless tracking as well as stock control.

Such shelves are powered with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Reader) that can be embedded either into the shelf or placed over/below/behind the shelf. This reader is used for scanning the targeted commodities placed on the shelf and then notifying the backend system of those items.

Google maps, the most commonly used tracking and navigation tool possesses certain limitations: It’s incapable of tracking within concrete areas like buildings and fails to provide point-to-point navigation across short distances. All these shortcomings of Google maps are fulfilled by beacon-powered solutions used for indoor tracking in areas such as malls, exhibitions, hospital spaces, resorts, hotels, huge organizations, airports, etc.

Beacons are installed within the building which sends Bluetooth signals to the users’ smartphones such that the positioning data is directly displayed on the mobile screens. Here, the signal strength measurement is used for localization. Moreover, the device can transfer data to platforms where the collected data is intelligently processed. When the position is determined the accuracy of a client-based process is one to three meters and the range is up to three meters. It detects the present floor too.

This technology facilitates the functioning of educational institutes such as colleges, universities, training institutes, etc. Beacon devices placed in each class can replace traditional notice boards used for broadcasting important information like administrative posts, time-tables, upcoming activities, etc. to the students via push notifications; conducting automatic attendance using timestamps; and many more.

Coming to the healthcare sector, beacons embedded within mobile devices of the medical facility enable efficient equipment tracking. Moreover, a beacon can load the patients’ medical records/history into the doctor’s iPad immediately after the practitioner enters the patients’ room and remove those records after the doctor leaves the room. Beacons are also immensely useful in helping patients as well as visitors to navigate through large corridors of hospital spaces by providing them location guidance through maps.

The positional accuracy of beacons allows retailers to collect reliable information about consumer in-store behavior. This data plays a crucial role in enhancing your in-store layout and product listings, improving your customer experience, designing effective marketing campaigns, and thereby accelerating in-store conversions.

Business brands that connect their beacon signals to the Google Ads account gain handy insights about the offline activity of the searchers and track their in-store visits. Tracking the interaction points of the visitors who have clicked your digital ad campaigns provides one an idea of the effectiveness of your campaign and helps you to identify the areas of improvement so that they can tailor their marketing strategy accordingly. This is how beacon-empowered online marketing strategies are directly linked to offline attribution.

Beacons allow consumers a personalized interaction during their shopping experience thereby improving the UX to a great extent. Targeted/customized ads from their preferable brands provide customers the flexibility to choose wisely while offline as well as online purchasing and hence, helps in building familiarity, trust, and security.

Tech giants like Google and Apple are promoting the Beacon technology in full swing and the outcome is obvious – businesses across various domains are leveraging its promising potential. Would you also like to reap the benefits of this amazing technology? Well, reach out to Biz4Solutions, a prominent offshore software development services in India and U.S.A, for our customized software solutions using this beacon technology.

Security vulnerabilities can cause massive disasters. To cite an example, let’s consider a case study of the Stuxnet worm that was first detected in the year 2010. However, this malicious computer worm had made its first attack in the year 2006, and later in the year 2009, it was executed for a huge operation. In 2009, this worm was used like a cyber-weapon for targeting several data acquisition and control systems and destructing the machinery in nuclear systems. This IoT attack proved enormously catastrophic.

Here are a few more scenarios where cyber-criminals can attempt and have attempted in the past, to enter IoT systems through innocuous devices:

These types of attacks can severely damage the entire IoT ecosystem. So, how to prevent the IoT systems from such cyber-attacks? Are there any robust security measures or IoT securities for this? Well, in this blog, we are going to shed light on those measures.

But before we commence, let us take a quick look at the vulnerabilities that can put IoT systems at risk.

There are some security vulnerabilities that invite crimes and breaches to your IoT systems and thus to your organization. Let us understand those vulnerabilities.

Make sure that the IoT device you buy is secure by design. Look into the design details of the device prior to its purchase. If adequate design details are not available for any device, then rethink buying the device. Also, ensure that the device manufacturer will be providing timely updates and patches for the lifetime of the device. It will also help the device to remain updated with the latest trends in the market.

The IoT devices become vulnerable to threats, the moment they are connected to the internet. It is essential to keep track of all the devices and the network, but this becomes a tough job when more and more devices are connected to it. However, to ensure the security of the IoT systems, one must keep a record of the devices, network, and also the type of data these devices can access. Furthermore, if the system consists of IoT mobile apps featuring social sharing, make sure that the permissions are granted cautiously.

Your Wi-Fi router can act as a gateway for cybercriminals to enter your IoT network of devices. After all, the router connects the IoT devices with each other to create a robust IoT network. So, securing the IoT system starts with securing the router and setting it up correctly. Here are some tips that companies can follow:

While accessing the IoT network through your smartphone or laptop, always avoid using public Wi-Fi because hackers can easily break into such open networks. Such networks are usually offered in malls, hotels, coffee shops, etc. So, always use a strong and secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) because it provides you an encrypted, private gateway to the internet and halts the hackers from being able to catch your communications.

Moreover, it is a great idea to start using guest networks. This will not provide them access to the main network. As a result, if hackers try to play with one of the IoT devices on the network, they won’t be able to access or control your primary network and will be stuck in the guest network itself.

Besides the Wi-Fi passwords, there are some other areas too, where you need to set super-strong passwords. For example, when an IoT device asks to create an account and sign-up using a password, make sure you use a strong and unique password that cannot be guessed easily. So, even if one of the devices gets hacked or compromised, other devices on the network remain intact.

But one major headache, in this case, is remembering a lot many passwords for different devices. So, one can utilize a password management tool that stores unlimited passwords, creates new passwords, and also syncs them between different devices.

Most of the IoT devices have some default settings, which are not secure and could cause vulnerabilities. Besides, there are a few devices that do not allow changing these settings and are a threat to the entire IoT network. But wherever possible, one must check and modify the weak credentials, obstructive permissions, intrusive features, open ports, etc.

Security gateways can stand as a threat between your IoT network and devices. These possess more memory, processing power, and other functional capabilities than IoT devices.

So, to prevent hackers from playing with your IoT devices and systems, it is advisable to install powerful security solutions like a firewall. It blocks unauthorized traffic over the wire and runs IPS or IDS, which is intrusion prevention or intrusion detection system for scrutinizing the network system. Besides, a firewall comes with features like malware protection, SSL/SSH interception, content filtering, QoS management, etc. which increase the device security to a great extent.

Furthermore, one can also utilize vulnerability scanners for unveiling the security loopholes within the system. You may also make use of a port scanner for identifying the open ports.

There are several features available in IoT devices that are not used at all. For example, smart speakers have Bluetooth connectivity features and Wi-Fi, too. But mostly, the Bluetooth connectivity feature is not used. So, it should be disabled.

Another example of this is the voice control feature of smart TVs. These days, digital assistants like Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, etc. are used and so, the voice control feature of the smart TVs goes unused. So, it is a better idea to turn that feature off. Likewise, several IoT devices have the feature of controlling them from any corner of the world. But, for your smart home, if you are making use of only the Wi-Fi connection in your home, disabling the remote access would be a wise option.

Such entry points that are not used at all must be disabled to protect the devices from being exposed to cybercriminals.

Most of the end-users are not aware of the security considerations of the IoT devices and tend to overlook them. So, increasing their awareness is a necessity today. They must be aware of the latest security measures for IoT-related systems. They must also be aware of updating the software apps, default credentials, etc. They must also be aware of dangerous cyber threats that take place and what can be the potential measures.

Hackers and cybercriminals can enter the IoT network of various devices through a very harmless device on the network as these devices usually have no or little built-in security. It could be a smart TV, or a gaming console, or a smart lock. Once entered into the systems, these hackers can induce viruses that can easily access sensitive information like daily routines, contact details, financial information, passwords, etc., and misuse it.

Also, the hackers can install malicious software programs like malware causing all the more damage to IoT app solutions and IoT ecosystems altogether. However, if you proactively employ the security best practices during IoT app development or while setting up IoT systems, mentioned in this blog, your IoT systems will become highly secure and they won’t get hacked so easily.

Hope you are now well-equipped with the security best practices that you must employ for protecting your IoT devices and systems.

For any queries related to this, kindly comment below or reach out to us. We have expert IoT professionals who will not only resolve your queries but also help you design customized robust software solutions for IoT systems. We deliver futuristic offshore software services in India in several trending technologies. So, get in touch with us now for further details.