New Webroot solution uses threat intelligence to secure IoT gateways

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As the Internet of Things takes off, gateways are increasingly being used to connect legacy and next generation devices, but they often don't have the security features to protect critical infrastructure.

Endpoint security specialist Webroot is launching a new threat intelligence solution for IoT gateways to secure them against advanced and persistent network based threats.

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Few businesses have an Internet of Things implementation

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According to research released by Computing, only eight percent of IT decision makers believe that the Internet of Things (IoT) will be of no consequence to their organizations.

However over half (54 percent) of the respondents believe that IoT is ready to make its mainstream debut, despite their own organizations currently not having plans to adopt the technology. This corresponds with the 23 percent of IT decision makers who believe that the implementation of IoT is currently happening or will happen in the near future, although only 15 percent of them are actively involved with it at present.

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Microsoft buys Internet of Things company Solair

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Microsoft has just announced that it has acquired the IoT service Solair -- based out of Italy -- though the financial details surrounding the transaction have yet to be released.

The company was founded in 2011 and it uses Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform to deliver its services. This will allow Solair to easily be integrated into the Azure IoT suite.

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An open letter to the IoT community: Lessons learned from the Revolv shutdown

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Over the last month, Nest has been under a lot of scrutiny over their decision to shut down Revolv, as made famous by a viral Medium post earlier in April. The discussion around this issue raises an important question: what are IoT companies' obligations to their customers?

If you make a hardware product that is connected to the internet and relies on a web service for its operation (i.e. an Internet of Things product), you’ll likely see that reliance as an asset. "We have an ongoing relationship with our customers", you might say. "We can improve the product's functionality, we can deliver new features, we can fix bugs, and we can generate customer insights to make the product better over time". This feels like a win for both your company and for your customers.

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Wearables are likely source for security breach

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The Internet of Things (IoT) opens up a sea of new opportunities for revenue and growth, but it is also a security challenge, IT pros have said.

If the new Spiceworks IoT report is to be believed, 85 percent of IT professionals in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa) believe IoT will create new security and privacy issues in the workplace.

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Samsung has a SmartThings security problem, according to UM and Microsoft Research

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The Internet of Things, or IoT, has been both a blessing and a bain since it came into existence. Does convenience trump security concerns? That's the question each user has to ask his or herself. It's that security part that tends to make the news.

The latest to suffer a setback is Samsung SmartThings, with a new report claiming the platform has a security problem. The vulnerabilities reported are only hypothetical so far however.

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Fitbit's Aria internet-connected scale can be hacked

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These days more and more items around our homes are connected to the internet. In theory, this sounds like a great idea, and it can be -- providing it is implemented correctly, meaning in a secure way. In practice, however, that isn't always the case. We've seen endless stories of what can go wrong, even Barbie dolls turned bad.

Scales are probably one of the last things you'd expect to be connected. Actually, though, that innovation came several years ago with a scale that tweeted your weight -- a great way of shaming you into continuing that diet and exercise program.

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A company reborn: Intel ditches Atom chips to focus on the cloud, the Internet of Things and 5G

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Big changes are afoot at Intel. A spokeswoman has confirmed that the company is scrapping its Sofia and Broxton mobile Atom chips, and will instead shift focus to more profitable ventures. Having invested billions of dollars in Atom for smartphones and tablets Intel is now switching its attention to the world of connected devices.

Giving Atom chips the chop comes just after the company announced 12,000 job cuts and effectively walked away from the PC market. In moving away from mobile devices as well, Intel is undergoing a rebirth. It is looking to focus on key areas of growth, particularly the cloud and IoT as well as 5G, memory, and data center products.

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Nokia to splash out $191 million on health and wearables firm Withings

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Nokia used to be a name associated with smartphones but now the Finnish company is looking to venture into a different area of the mobile device market. Today the company announced plans to acquire French health, fitness and wearables firm Withings for €170 million ($191 million).

Withings will join Nokia Technologies as the former smartphone manufacturer branches out into the Internet of Things and the lucrative health market. The acquisition will be settled in cash, and is expected to be completed by Q3 this year.

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Dell teams with Microsoft and others to launch IoT Partner Solutions Program

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Yes, the Internet of Things, commonly called the IoT, has been steadily growing and increasingly hard to ignore. It's not all bad, though. In fact, it's great when it works and when it isn't being hacked. Security is obviously the number one concern. Nobody wants a hacker turning off lights, or worse.

Now Dell is teaming up with a number of companies for what it calls its "IoT Partner Solutions Program". Those involved, at least initially, are GE, Microsoft, OSIsoft, PTC, SAP and Software AG.

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Internet of Things will extend to running shoes

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Your next running shoes will probably be connected to the internet, IoT-style.

Footwear branding, labeling and RFID solutions firm Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) and IoT firm EVRYTHNG announced today they’re teaming up to give more than 10 billion apparel and footwear products a "unique digital identity".

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What the future holds for Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Throughout its more than 20-year existence, Wi-Fi has evolved to be ever faster. That evolution continues but arguably it has already reached a point where home broadband, device processors and other limitations mean that greater speeds are not of benefit to most. So where next, if anywhere, for Wi-Fi?

Of course, the continued success of Wi-Fi is in little doubt. It is in almost every home in the developed world. Wi-Fi chips are embedded in every phone, tablet, laptop and computing device. We send ever-more data each year across WiFi. It has been said that if you want to hold a family conference, go to the room in the house where the router sits, turn it off, and wait a few minutes.

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The Internet of Things gets its own day (and lots more Things)

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The idea of connected devices is nothing new, the University of Cambridge had a connected coffee pot, to save on trips down the corridor to see if it had finished brewing, as early as 1991.

But as more and more devices go online we've come up with the idea of the Internet of Things. This, apparently, is such a good idea that it also now has its own day on April 9.

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Internet of Things is now mainstream, Verizon says

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According to a new report released by Verizon, the Internet of Things is now mainstream. The report, titled State of the Market: Internet of Things (IoT), used the company’s customer usage data, research from Oxford Economics, customer case studies, and third party data to come to its conclusion in regard to the future of IoT.

Verizon’s experts see the combination of five macrotrends as the catalyst behind the IoT finally being embraced by consumers and businesses.

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Can’t afford Dyson's Pure Cool Link? Try the Mi Air Purifier instead [Review]

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Having revolutionized the world of vacuum cleaning, James Dyson moved his attention to hand drying, heating and cooling. The latest gadget to roll off the Dyson production line is the IoT-enabled Pure Cool Link air purifier. Like just about every Dyson product out there, reviews are almost universally positive, but there is the question of the price tag.

The Pure Cool Link comes at something of a premium (be prepared to part with around $500), but it's certainly not a unique product. Dyson may have blazed a trail in many areas, but when it comes to air purifiers, it wasn't the first, and it certainly isn’t the cheapest. Take, for instance the Mi Air Purifier from Xiaomi. It's a relative snip at just $200, and the lower price tag doesn’t mean missing out on the Internet of Things.

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