The future looks bright for Internet of Things technology going into 2019. But the industry will likely have to jump a few hurdles along the way. With major corporate security breaches frequently appearing in the news, it's clear to customers they need to be careful about whom they trust with their personal information. Businesses will continue to push new IoT concepts while improving upon existing ones, which have the potential to revolutionize daily life.

IoT security will become more important than ever

As of 2018, the biggest security issue with IoT device is how hackers can exploit lax security on the devices to create botnets for malicious uses. A hacker can seize control of watches, thermostats and hundreds of other smart devices to overwhelm and disable a site or service. Vulnerability means device creators and users alike will shift security focus to all endpoints.

Changes may include forcing users to change default passwords and implementing blockchain to stop unauthorized changes. To combat security issues for small and large businesses, managed services providers will likely start offering IoT-related services as well.

IoT devices will find direction

As exciting as constant innovation can be, the IoT industry has to accept that some smart devices are far more useful than others. The number of smart devices jumped from 20.35 billion in 2017 to 23.14 billion in 2018. The public will likely see many new device types appear on the market. Some will succeed, and others will fail.

Healthcare and manufacturing will lead the charge toward IoT adoption by using devices that vastly improve monitoring, recordkeeping, efficiency, downtime reduction and inventory management. Biometrics will likely expand in use, but people may hesitate to use it because they don't like being constantly tracked. However, people will likely embrace RFID-based devices.

Devices will still be driven by the cloud, but they'll be less dependent on it

As technology improves and prices drop, IoT devices will handle much more of the data processing locally rather than relying on the cloud to do all the heavy lifting. Running most of the data processing closer to the data generation source is known as "edge computing." However, the cloud will still be essential for data management and analysis. Having the devices do more of the work will minimize how much data has to travel to the cloud which is good for both security improvements and traffic reduction.

5G will expand devices out of the home and office

Implementing 5G Internet access will make it more practical to run IoT devices over cellular networks. This change could lead telecoms to get more invested in IoT and connected cars becoming more prevalent. Additionally, " smart cities" that use IoT devices to handle traffic systems, waste management and other operational elements will likely emerge. However, it's only a matter of time before a " smart city" finds itself on the losing end of a cyber-attack.

If your business is looking to invest in IoT devices to improve the workplace, it's best to take a preemptive approach to security and consider which devices are right for your unique needs.