One of the most often used, and misunderstood, phrases in tech talk these days is this one – “The Internet of Things.”  IoT, as it is also known, essentially describes technology coming to nearly everything we use.

You’ve heard about those self-driving vehicles coming soon the a roadway near your?  They will all by connected as part of the Internet of Things.  Even your household appliances will all be connected to help you keep control even when you are not home, and become much more efficient with all this connectivity.

One tech writer told me you can have a picture frame with a computer chip in it in the very near future.  If someone is trying to steal your rare, expensive painting, the chip will let you know it is moving and track it so the police can pursue the culprits.

The Internet of Things is very much a part of the technology business boom in Fishers.  Plenty of local tech firms are tied into the development and implementation of IoT.

You may recall Governor Holcomb visited Launch Fishers in February of this year to announce a new Internet of Things laboratory not far from the Launch Fishers building.  The city and state have an investment in that lab.

This would lead one to believe that it’s full speed ahead on the Internet of Things and nothing can stop it now.  There is something that could stop IoT dead in its tracks, and we all should sound a cautionary note on this technology.

A Forbes contributing writer specializing in cutting edge technology, Harold Stark, authored a piece published on www. Forbes.com October 29th.  It gives us all something to think about.

Security is the note of caution one must consider when looking into the future of IoT.  Stark describes a scary vulnerability found in most Wi-Fi connections.  Although patches are being made, is illustrates just how easy it might be for hackers to create societal chaos once virtually everything we use is connected via IoT.

You can read Stark’s entire piece at this link.

A few days earlier, CNBC posted a piece on its web site written by their London-based reporter Anmar Frangoul, that reads, in part:

In 2016, IoT security business ForeScout Technologies released a report in which it looked at seven common IoT devices, including smart fridges, connected printers and IP-connected security systems.

Alarmingly, ForeScout said that the devices could be “hacked in as little as three minutes, but can take days or weeks to remediate.” ForeScout said that IoT hacks could result in the microphones and cameras of devices being hijacked to spy on their users as well as the destruction of critical equipment.

You can read the entire CNBC story at this link.

I am not trying to be alarmist here.  It is well known that many systems thought to be secure have been hacked.  The latest big one was Equifax.  If Equifax can be hacked, just about any target is vulnerable.

Both the City of Fishers and the State of Indiana are working hard, supporting technology businesses to grow and thrive as we become even more Internet connected every day.  I only ask that our elected officials keep in mind that technology has its pitfalls.

If the public turns against the Internet of Things because of security concerns, that bright IoT future could be in jeopardy.  As more effective security systems are developed in the years ahead, this concern may be gone.  But in the meantime, let’s be realistic about the possible IoT dangers ahead.