Systems Computing Challenges in the Internet of Things

TL;DR

This paper discusses the significant challenges in developing secure, robust, and practical IoT systems, emphasizing the need for new research and strategies to address unique issues posed by IoT's scale and complexity.

Contribution

It highlights the inadequacy of current best practices for IoT system development and offers recommendations for future research investments to overcome these challenges.

Findings

Existing practices are insufficient for IoT security and robustness.

Addressing IoT challenges requires interdisciplinary research and new strategies.

Policy and regulatory issues are critical for IoT adoption.

Abstract

A recent McKinsey report estimates the economic impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) to be between $3.9 to $11 trillion dollars by 20251 . IoT has the potential to have a profound impact on our daily lives, including technologies for the home, for health, for transportation, and for managing our natural resources. The Internet was largely driven by information and ideas generated by people, but advances in sensing and hardware have enabled computers to more easily observe the physical world. Coupling this additional layer of information with advances in machine learning brings dramatic new capabilities including the ability to capture and process tremendous amounts of data; to predict behaviors, activities, and the future in uncanny ways; and to manipulate the physical world in response. This trend will fundamentally change how people interact with physical objects and the environment. Success in developing value-added capabilities around IoT requires a broad approach that includes expertise in sensing and hardware, machine learning, networked systems, human-computer interaction, security, and privacy. Strategies for making IoT practical and spurring its ultimate adoption also require a multifaceted approach that often transcends technology, such as with concerns over data security, privacy, public policy, and regulatory issues. In this paper we argue that existing best practices in building robust and secure systems are insufficient to address the new challenges that IoT systems will present. We provide recommendations regarding investments in research areas that will help address inadequacies in existing systems, practices, tools, and policies.