The energy industry used to operate on a simple hub-and-spoke model, in which large power plants would produce energy in a centralized location and distribute it out to consumers. Yet as solar, wind, and other small-scale renewable energy sources take hold in the market, that hub-and-spoke model is being replaced by a complex grid of interconnected devices.

Researchers at TrapX Security recently discovered three of the world's largest manufacturers with IoT devices running Windows 7 infected with malware in an alleged supply chain attack. The company identified a cryptocurrency miner on numerous IoT devices, including automatic guided vehicles, a smart TV and a printer. All of these attacks are said to be a part of the same campaign.

There are a number of smart devices becoming commonplace in homes around the world, leading us closer and closer to the reality of smart homes, or houses that depend primarily on interconnected smart tech. Heating, lighting, and common appliances like doorbells, alarms, and entertainment devices are now increasingly being designed to operate on the internet of things (IoT).

Photo by BENCE BOROS on Unsplash Welcome to the world of Internet of Things (IoT) and a glimpse into the future. The IoT is where the physical world merges with the digital world. Soon, we expect the world IoT population to outnumber the human population tenfold—perhaps as many as 80 billion connected devices by 2025.