Internet of things brings both advantages, security threat: Slovak official

The Internet of Things (IoT) and sharing vast amounts of data in real time offer many advantages, but this progress also represents a huge security threat, said a Slovak official on Tuesday.

The remarks was made by Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Investments Peter Pellegrini at an innovation and technology conference in Bratislava.

"The Internet of Things means that I can remotely turn on the heating in my house via my smartphone; that in the future a fridge, after assessing that a household is running out of milk, will order a new bottle online from a shop," said Pellegrini.

Despite the benefits, there are drawbacks. He pointed out that inserting intelligence into devices opens the door to entirely new types of cyber attacks. That's why the Slovak government has been preparing a new law on cyber security that will define the role of all responsible state authorities.

"Moreover, we also have to form professional capacities; people who are able to foresee such an attack in advance; people who will be able to launch a counter-attack against an attacker from a distance," concluded Pellegrini. Endit