Question:
Discuss About The Reference Architecture For Internet Things?
Information technology encapsulates many technological advancements that aim to increase the efficiency and availability of information. The internet is one such advancement which throughout the years has become a major driving of IT system and telecommunication in general. In all, the internet is able to deliver resources and services based on the needs of the users without any form of restriction, be it location or size [1]. Now, the Internet of Things (IoT) is next in line to promote these benefits of information availability where it will increase the existing worldwide connectivity as supported by the internet. In essence, this technology (IoT) will facilitate the connectivity of all devices and objects notwithstanding their field or application. However, this extended connectivity does also present many challenges most of which are related to the security and privacy of the data being used [2]. Moreover, IoT requires an management of the existing internet infrastructure which also holds many issues and threats. This report analyses IoT as a technology where its model, functionalities and issues are given based on its proposed architecture.
While the phrase Internet of Things was coined in the late 1990s, the concepts of the technology have already been proposed based on the existing networking infrastructures. In fact, when one considers the birth of the internet as we know it today, the foundational elements of the IoT are given based on the rudimentary functionalities of the initial systems. In the early days, networks such as APRANET aimed to increase the connectivity of computer system through packet switching techniques. These techniques were desired as they increased the transfer of information without establishing physical connections [1].
Now fast forward to today and these foundational elements have propelled the movement towards smart systems, the cornerstone of IoT. In today’s world devices such as smartwatches, smartphones and smart T.Vs characterize the digital world. Moreover, these devices have endless resources as they are able to connect to the worldwide web. In economics, this connectivity is the basic idea behind IoT where other subsidiary devices will be connected to the web thus increase their autonomy and intelligence. Therefore, in the future smart devices and objects will include gadgets such as vehicles, cooking stations and even windows [1]. Nevertheless, to meet these requirements the existing devices and objects will have to incorporate some new technologies as outlined below.
To start with, IoT will require an endless connectivity supported by a worldwide networking infrastructure. This requirement will be easily satisfied by the internet which is the biggest network known to man today spanning billions of devices, an outcome that facilitates the transmission of information across various digital platforms. Furthermore, the internet and its connectivity features will have to be supplemented by an agile infrastructure as most IoT devices will be mobile based on the needs of the user [3]. Now, the requirement will be met by wireless connectivity, a technology that has grown tremendously throughout the years to become the most popular technology in the world.
In addition to these foundational elements of connectivity and networks, IoT will require other subsidiary technologies in order to support the identification of the devices. While there are many technologies that can support this role, RFID is envisioned as the technology of choice. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) integrates the functionalities of wireless connectivity with those of system identification. In essence, devices are equipped with RF tags which facilitates their tracking and hence their identification [1]. Moreover, RFID provides other additional benefits including the ability to collaborate with the internet through its operational protocols such IP. Now, IP is another support technology that has grown in the past few years in an effort to meet the demands of the users. Today, IP is characterized by IPv6, an addressing scheme that holds countless addresses which is a requirement for IoT because many devices will be hosted online [4].
A model or defining architecture is always important when developing technologies because their applications are usually not limited to any single devices or gadget. IoT also holds similar objectives where a wide range of devices are proposed, having different specifications and manufacturers. To fill this gap, the model outlines a common structure which will be used to implement the technology [5]
Sensory and access layer: These layers are combined in this discussion as they depend on each other to meet their functionalities. The sensory layer will hold the sensors and actuators (RFID tags) which will collect data and control the devices. On the other hand, the access layer will form the gateway for accessing these devices. Therefore, through the access layer, the sensors and actuators will be able to connect to the IoT infrastructure. Moreover, the access layer will hold networking technologies such as Ethernet, 6LowPAN and ZigBee in order to support the access networks i.e. LAN and WAN [4].
Network layer: After establishing the sensory and access layers, these IoT segments will require a collaborator i.e. a connector of all the existing networks. This collaboration requirement will be the role of the network layer which will aggregate all the network used (LANs and WANs). Now, this layer will hold the same principles as the existing network layers where the IP and its defining model TCP are used. Moreover, the embedded system of the devices including their operating systems will also facilitate the network’s integration [6].
Middleware layer: This layer can also be defined as the management layer since it will monitor and control the entire IoT infrastructure based on the data collected. This layer’s roles will include; object management, security control and information analysis [6] [4].
Application layer: The end-user resource which will present the functionalities of the technology to the consumers. This layer will be characterized by versatile API (application presentation interfaces) which will present the functionalities and data to the users. However, these APIs will vary from one industry to another based on the application of the IoT technology [7] [8].
IoT like any other technology holds its share of challenges more so, in its implementation where the existing internet infrastructure will be extended. This system extension will also facilitate the growth of the problems of the internet. Furthermore, IoT will require several parties to collaborate in order to extend the existing limitations of the internet. Again, this collaboration is not guaranteed which is another substantial concern [9] [10].
Data security and privacy – To meet its overall objectives of maximum connectivity, IoT will require the collaborating devices to share all the information they hold. Moreover, it will extend the limitations of connectivity to include other subsidiary devices previously not considered for connection. Therefore, simple objects such bags will connect to networks which based on the existing security systems will make the network vulnerable thus exposing the data available in the networks. Furthermore, connectivity will be based on security measures such as authentication and encryption which requires the user confidential information. Now, these resources may be hacked or attacked which will not only expose the data of a single system but that of an extensive network [9].
Extensive system diversification – uniformity is a good concept of maintaining strong security features more so, those affiliated with cyber systems. It is because of this requirement that standards are developed to enhance systems security. However, consider the diversification that will be presented by IoT where different devices having varying security features will be used. These devices (both identical and non-identical) will use varying security features that may conflict thus expose the security of the entire infrastructure. Furthermore, the heterogeneity and homogeneity of IoT devices will escalate the existing security problems, therefore, intensifying the issues of cybercrime [11].
Manufacturers and developers problems – consider the countless security problems caused by manufacturer’s ignorance and negligence. A good example is the WannaCry cyber-attack caused by system vulnerabilities as set up by the manufacturer. Similarly, IoT devices and resources face a big threat because the manufactures of these systems are and will be more concerned with the financial returns and not the security of the systems. In fact, some of the developers today create inadequate systems to maintain a hold on the user. In addition to this, some devices may outlive the manufactures which will eliminate the technical support of the devices which may be connected to the worldwide systems. This outcome will create several vulnerabilities throughout the IoT system [12].
Although security is not a guaranteed concept in cyber systems, most of the security problems are caused by user negligence and ignorance. Therefore, to mitigate the threat of data security and privacy, the IoT model must be implemented using sufficient security standards and policies. Now, these policies will include the specification of the devices that will be connected to the worldwide networks and the IoT infrastructure itself. Furthermore, these standards will define the techniques of protecting the data such as encryption and authentication. In this case, these techniques may include technologies such as End to End data encryption (E2EE) where data will be encrypted throughout the transmission process [11]. In addition to this, the security standards will also include the legal obligations of both the users and management. These laws should spell out the minimal requirements of the devices used i.e. their security and implementation procedures. Finally, the same policies should outline the applicable standards of the technology including sensitization programs for the users who hold the greatest risks/threats.
Conclusion
This report has critically analyzed the concepts of IoT where its defining technologies and standards have been given. Moreover, the report has given the general architecture of the technology based on the existing communication models. Furthermore, through this report, IoT has been defined as a technological evolution and not a new technology or concept. Therefore, the implementation of the IoT concepts will take time as it will require the advancement and refinement of the existing internet connections. In addition to this, IoT is given as a technology that will increase the benefits and efficiencies of networking through the worldwide connectivity it will offer. However, at the same time, IoT will also present many challenges to the users because of its design and its objectives of facilitating the growth of the internet which still holds many security challenges. Therefore, the threats of cyber-crime will grow with the technology and so will the intrusions of other basic networks. Nevertheless, these limitations should limit the application of the technology as there are many security measures that can be used to mitigate them. Now, this report highlights good implementation procedures (standards/policies) as a solution to the threats as they will encapsulate all the optimal security features of a worldwide technology.
References
Madakam, “Internet of Things: Smart Things,” International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, pp. Available: https://www.ijfcc.org/vol4/395-ICNT2014-2-203.pdf., 2015.
Madakam, E. Ramaswamy and S. Tripathi, “Internet of Things (IoT): A Literature review,” Journal of Computer and Communications, p. Available: https://file.scirp.org/pdf/JCC_2015052516013923.pdf, 2015.
Alsaadi and A. Tubaishat, “Internet of Things: Features, Challenges, and Vulnerabilities,” accounting Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Information Technology (IJACSIT), p. Available: , 2015.
Mattern and C. Floerkemeier, “Fro m the Internet of Computers to the Internet of Things,” Distributed Systems Group, Institute for Pervasive Computing, ETH Zurich, pp. Available: https://www.vs.inf.ethz.ch/publ/papers/Internet-of-things.pdf., 2012.
Vatsa and G. Singh, “A Literature Review on Internet of Things (IoT),” International Journal of Computer Systems , p. Available: https://www.academia.edu/19560667/A_Literature_Review_on_Internet_of_Things_IoT_, 2015.
Gubbi, R. Buyya, S. Marusic and M. Palaniswami, “Internet of Things (IoT): A Vision, Architectural Elements, and Future Directions,” pp. Available: https://www.cloudbus.org/papers/Internet-of-Things-Vision-Future2012.pdf., 2012.
Rose, S. Eldridge and L. Eldridge, “The Internet of Things: An Overview,” Understanding the Issues and Challenges of a More Connected World, pp. Available: https://www.internetsociety.org/sites/default/files/ISOC-IoT-Overview-20151014_0.pdf., 2015.
FREMANTLE, “A REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS,” WSO2, pp. economics: https://wso2.com/wso2_resources/wso2_whitepaper_a-reference-architecture-for-the-internet-of-things.pdf., 2015.
Castellani, N. Bui, P. Casari, M. Rossi, Z. Shelby and M. Zorzi, “Architecture and Protocols for the Internet of Things: A Case Study,” p. Available: https://webofthings.org/wot/2010/pdfs/144.pdf., 2010.
society, “The internet of things: overview,” Understanding the issues and challenges of a more connected world, pp. Available: https://www.internetsociety.org/doc/iot-overview, 2015
Reports, “Reaping the Benefits of the Internet of Things,” Cognizant Reports, pp. Available: https://www.cognizant.com/InsightsWhitepapers/Reaping-the-Benefits-of-the-Internet-of-Things.pdf., 2014.
Ericsson, “IoT SECURITY,” ericsson White paper, pp. Available: https://www.ericsson.com/assets/local/publications/white-papers/wp-iot-security-february-2017.pdf., 2017
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