BT’s VP of global industry practices, Hubertus von Roenne, believes that companies are often reacting to IoT security challenges after they happen, and this is a fundamental problem.

“If you have an IoT project, start with security first from the very beginning. If you do it halfway, then it’s already too late,” he said.

From a BT perspective, the company has said that its cybersecurity platform pools resources from a practice of over 2,500 security experts around the world.

That isn’t to say that he sees a grim future for IoT, rather he believes a vast connected network will bring as many benefits as some of the greatest inventions and revolutions in history.

“Some people talk about a fourth industrial revolution, I actually think the change is even broader,” he said.

In fact, he even went as far as to say that IoT’s widespread adoption will be something like if humankind discovered fire, invented the alphabet and the printing press at the same time.

This will inevitably leave quite a lot of power in a company’s CIO, which Von Roenne believes is a role that will undergo significant change in the years to come.

Words by Colm Gorey