The Internet of Things holds incredible promise, from the cost savings afforded by facilities management sensors to the data-rich insights organizations can glean from connected devices. Even better, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what a mature, sophisticated IoT landscape will eventually look like.

But these advances often come with a risk — for now, anyway. Security has been a significant challenge for IoT devices, and we’ve already seen plenty of unfortunate cases where hackers have used connected devices to gain unauthorized network access.

Consider a food manufacturing environment, where a connected thermometer monitors temperatures in pipes or storage containers and communicates with the Wi-Fi network so it can send that data to a database. If the device is not properly secured, a hacker could interrogate the thermometer to discover credentials that enable access to the network, or even to upload instructions that would leverage the thermometer to deliver a virus.

Organizations could use blockchain to close these vulnerabilities, adding a layer of security to make IoT devices less susceptible to exploitation.

As localities slowly begin to reopen, technology will be an essential part of the process. The digital infrastructures at the heart of many modern cities may prove critical to keeping the coronavirus at bay. There are many other potential coronavirus-related applications for video in digitally connected cities and the organizations within them. Some, such as using facial recognition for contact tracing, may be controversial, and there are certainly privacy and security issues that municipalities must address. But the fact that a device as simple as a mounted camera combined with powerful analytics software might be used to accomplish in just a few seconds what would otherwise be quite difficult — that’s something localities and other organizations must consider.

5G is the next generation of mobile broadband, and it will eventually replace consumers’ and corporations’ 4G LTE connections. With 5G, users will see exponentially faster download and upload speeds, with drastic reductions in latency. This will open up a new world of possibilities, and it’s easy to understand why the technology is the subject of such breathless coverage in the press.

At the moment, the reality of 5G doesn’t match this hype, but that’s only because the infrastructure isn’t in place yet. Most serious industry observers predict that it will take at least a year or two for wireless carriers to build out 5G networks capable of supporting widescale use. But once that infrastructure is in place, it truly will change the world — and businesses should begin preparing today.

Many health risks facing older adults are simple problems with complex solutions. These health risks have only been amplified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Falls are a great example of this. Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. While falls aren’t entirely preventable, senior living and care communities can lower the risk in a number of ways. One way is the adoption of smart home solutions that make it easier for seniors to navigate their environments.

Explore smart home solutions and learn three more ways that a robust IT infrastructure is integral to supporting senior care.

Organizations have long understood the importance of securing their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) networks and industrial control systems (ICS) from outside threats.

In recent years, these systems have become increasingly interconnected with IT systems and IoT networks, enabling organizations to take advantage of greater automation and better data analytics. But these improvements make connected systems a bigger target for cybercriminals. Here are three measures organizations should take to assess — and improve — the security measures surrounding their SCADA systems.

Government agencies, retailers, manufacturers, banks, enterprises — organizations across industries can benefit from IP-based camera systems. That’s because the technology enables them to keep an eye on their premises in real time and review recorded images to better understand security incidents and other past events.

But many organizations find that their camera systems provide new capabilities that go far beyond simple security. By treating cameras as data sources and applying analytics capabilities to this data, organizations open a wide variety of use cases that can improve safety, efficiency and productivity as well as security.