- So, guess what?
Remember all that data I talked about?
Well, it's going to get worse.
Welcome to the Internet of Things.
The fact of the matter is the amount of data
is growing exponentially in part
because of the growing number of data sources.
These days, more and more devices are connected
and interconnected than ever
and there are an increasing number
of ways to interact with the data via different devices.
There are already a lot of home-based connected systems
that will let you control heating,
lights and entertainment from a cell phone,
a tablet or a computer,
in person or remotely.
Companies are starting to take similar technology
and apply it to business environments.
For instance, DHL is actively exploring ways
to take an Internet of Things approach
with their global logistics system.
Their goal is to integrate vehicle monitoring
and maintenance, package tracking,
employee information, shipping container sensors
and more into one single comprehensive bundle
and then use cognitive computing
to help spot opportunities to improve.
Cisco is also making strides
with their Connected Factory program.
They're encouraging companies they work with
to integrate more Internet of Things technologies
into their facilities.
Cisco's part is to use remote monitoring
and cognitive computing to detect
and resolve issues quicker
and boost productivity overall.
Nobody's really sure where the Internet of Things is headed,
although I think the smart money
is on information security.
As people, processes and businesses continue to connect,
the risk to data will accelerate,
in part because there are so many new points
of entry for attack.
The only way to keep up with that
will be to apply cognitive computing to the problem.
Computers will need to be able to learn
what looks like an attack
based on what's been tried
and where known vulnerabilities are.
They'll also need to be able to look for patterns
and take action to prevent possible breaches.
My guess is that the next few years
are going to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride
but I personally have faith
that the protecting computers
will eventually be faster than the hackers.