Could smart agriculture be the solution for farmers?

When it comes to IoT innovation, we”ve already seen some impressive developments so far, not only for smart homes, but also for smart city infrastructure. Since connected cars are the poster child for IoT innovation and sensors can now predict traffic and weather, it”s just a matter of time until automation takes over agriculture.

Are we living another “industrial” revolution? Technology sure seems to be heading in that direction. However, as unemployment rate has increased in agriculture, farmers are concerned that machines, which are smart and efficient, could completely take over their jobs and, presuming that doesn”t happen, they could still turn out far too expensive for their budgets.

Overall, there are still disputes around IoT benefits and pertinent security concerns. While IoT is expanding, reaching more and more sectors, so are the risks and vulnerabilities of the devices.

“One of the fundamental issues that faces the Internet of Things is knowing that they’re there and giving them some identity,” said Gartner Analyst Earl Perkins. “You can’t manage what you can’t see.”

Several projects have implemented modular sensors in cities” infrastructures to measure pollution and noise levels, to make heat maps, and even predict the weather. There are many solutions for smart agriculture. These same sensors could also help farmers automate daily tasks and get real-time analytics to improve production. IoT could help reduce costs, determine soil quality and improve livestock feeding plans.

Nevertheless, securing the Internet of Things is a challenge everyone is dealing with because connected devices have so many vulnerable entry points. Not developed with security as a priority, it wouldn”t be difficult for a network to be hacked through an outdated or not encrypted irrigation sensor. It might be piece of cake for a hacker to come up with IoT-targeted malware.