IoThink

Over the course of the last weeks IoThink has produced two new guides, which can now be found on its platform. The first guide aims to reach out to children and young people, which are interested in technology and want to learn more on how they can themselves, build their own Internet of Things devices. The second guide provides tips & tricks for the safe use of the internet of things, enabling a responsible use of IoT – devices. Both guides are part of a multitude of materials available on the platform iothink.at, which will be used to raise awareness on the benefits, but also potential risks through Internet of Things devices.

The IoThink project is responding to the needs emerged from a new age in which devices that were traditionally offline are now collecting and analysing countless amounts of data. Above all, this development brings numerous new possibilities, which in particular make people’s lives easier and more pleasant. One of the greatest challenges associated with this development is the security of IoT devices. In view of the rapid innovation pressure in the industry, security standards are sometimes lagging behind. People should primarily benefit from the possibilities offered by networked technologies and be able to rely on the fact that appropriate security and data protection measures are in place – but even where this is not always the case, the competent and security-conscious handling of IoT devices can be learned.

Guide on using the Internet of Things safely

This guide provides parents with an overview of essential phenomena and threat scenarios in the Internet of Things, as well as effective strategies for coping with them. This should enable them to recognize at an early stage the dangers that their children may be exposed to when using IoT devices and thus to counteract them.

The guide lists potential threats as well as case-studies, to make different potential dangers understandable to the reader. Among the potential risks are new phenomena, such as so-called Dolphin-Attacks, which are a strategy to secretly hijack smart speakers by ultrasonic audio-commands that cannot be heard by humans. For a safety-conscious use of new IoT technologies, the guide is giving an overview on strategies on how to deal with these potential risks.

Guide for children and young people interested in IoT-technology

The Internet of Things (IoT) has long since become part of our everyday lives. While the concept seems complicated to us, the very basics of IoT are pretty straightforward. Objects we interact with on a daily basis (e.g. phones, clocks, thermostats, speakers, lamps, etc.) are all connected to the internet. In this way, the devices can communicate with each other and fit into our everyday life to make our lives easier.

The IoThink project has produced a guide, which gives a comprehensive overview of the ways in which the Internet of Things can be actively experienced. In addition to numerous initiatives, projects and events, practical tips are given here on how to get started independently in the world of the Internet of Things.

Links

IoThink project website https://www.iothink.at/

IoThink Tipps & Tricks guide https://www.iothink.at/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2020/09/IoThink-Guide-Tipps-Tricks.pdf

IoThink Guide for Kids interested in technology https://www.iothink.at/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2020/09/IoThink-Guide-fuer-technikinteressierte-Kinder-Jugendliche.pdf

Keywords

Internet of Things, safety & security, knowledge platform, kids & youth, networked technologies