Strategies for Internet of Things data privacy and security using systematic review

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) now referend to as the Internet of Everything (IoE) has been in existence long before it was identified as a concept. It was introduced with the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and was aimed at improving people’s lives and economies across the globe by connecting physical items to the internet so they can be able to deliver specific services implicitly. The nature of IoT requires that all the systems ensure data privacy and security because much of data that is uploaded into and used by the system is personal and private. Thus, the aim of this research was to identify the tools and strategies that can be used for IoT data privacy and security while also providing a brief but intensive understanding of the concept of IoT and data privacy and security challenges faced by IoT systems. This qualitative research study utilised a pragmatic paradigm and data was collected and analysed using text-based secondary data sources and a PRISMA protocol through systematic review. A PRISMA flow diagram was utilised to assess the eligibility of the sources used for this research. The findings showed that hacking is a major challenge that affects IoT systems and that there are strategies that can be used to protect data such as authentication, encryption technology, and anonymisation amongst many. Additional findings found that the strategies have not yet been found effective, but standards have been set upon the results expected from them. The conclusion is that for the identified strategies to be proven effective, they must be implemented and tested in IoT systems, so further investigation can be conducted if they prove to be ineffective.