Internet of Things Assignment
For this assignment, you will research the privacy and security aspects of so-called “smart” home devices, such as thermostats and lightbulbs, that collectively contribute toward the Internet of Things (IoT). You will determine whether or not IoT should really be called the “Internet of Trash” as has been proposed by some detractors.
Assignment Information
The application area for this assignment is computing sciences. However, you are welcome to choose this assignment if you have an interest in its content, regardless of your major.
Prerequisites
- You should be able to perform Internet searches to locate sources relevant to the topics covered by this assignment.
- You should be able to utilize CCU Library resources to aid in research.
- You should be able to think critically about the claims made in sources that you find.
- You should be able to create a logically organized presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress.
- You should be able to record a video presentation by narrating slides while recording a screencast.
- You should be able to edit the recorded video and upload the result to Moodle.
Background
The term Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a broad array of network-connected devices. This term is used fairly loosely, but all sorts of “connected” and “smart” devices often get labeled as IoT devices, including smart thermostats, connected appliances, light bulbs, speakers, and so forth. It has long been known that the vendors of these devices do not always keep up with providing security updates, nor do users always apply the updates when they are available. The resulting security landscape has been described as an Internet of Trash as a result. Combined with the privacy concerns of IoT devices, the term Internet of Shit is also used.
At the same time, IoT devices do enable some useful capabilities that can improve daily life and reduce environmental footprint. For example, a smart monitoring device could detect if a senior citizen falls, allowing them to live in their own home later in life. A smart thermostat can adjust itself based on whether or not anyone is home, saving energy usage and utility costs. There are arguably some useful benefits to this class of technology.
For this project option, your task is to research the IoT space and explore what it is and what privacy risks it carries. Then, you will formulate a presentation describing what you found and taking a position on whether IoT is good to have, better to avoid, or some combination of those two extremes by cherry-picking devices and using advanced network configurations. You may take any position that you would like on this subject. The grade is based on doing the research and supporting your position with sources, not on the position that you take.
Requirements
Prepare a video presentation that includes the following:
- Describe the Internet of Things. What is it? What are some examples of types of devices that can be found commercially?
- What are the privacy implications of IoT devices in general? Are some types of devices riskier than others?
- Give a few examples of IoT devices that have been found to be bad from a privacy perspective.
- Express a position on IoT devices and whether or not you believe they belong in the typical American home. Take any position you would like, but argue that position using sources.
- Cite at least 8 sources in your presentation. Limit Wikipedia articles to no more than two of these. You may use any citation format you prefer (e.g. APA, endnotes, etc.). Be sure that both the inline citations and enough information to locate the original source (such as reference slides at the end) are present in the presentation.
Your video presentation should be about 15-20 minutes long and should have some kind of visual aid (such as slides). You may record a screencast with your computer, or you can use your cell phone to record your presentation.
Grading
Please review the Internet of Things Rubric prior to uploading your video presentation. This rubric explains how this assignment option will be graded and can be used as a checklist to ensure that you have completed all the required parts of the assignment.
