The IoB extends from the IoT, the interconnection of devices that result in a vast variety of new data sources.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as a source connecting any electric device to the internet. The smart world has obtained devices like mobile, computer or tablets to stay at the electronic hype. Henceforth, IoT is no longer a part of some sci-fi movie or drama. The collection of usage and data by the IoT devices provides valuable insights into users' behaviours, interests and preferences, something which has been coined as the Internet of Behaviour (IoB). The emerging technology is expected to open numerous possibilities in business, personal finance, workplace and much more. Gartner has predicted that IoB will become more as a part of human life with over 3 billion people being under its influence by 2023.

What is Internet of Behaviour (IoB)?

Mining the data is not a new concept. Since the onset of the Internet, data has been essential in identifying who uses the Internet and what sites they visit. The emergence of IoT provides much more data to collect and analyze. And with more data comes more access to insights into how users behave.

Companies getting people to use IoT devices are not actually about things. It is more about connecting people into the Internet of Behaviour. The IoT devices link people to IoB. The Internet of Behaviour extends from the IoT, the interconnection of devices that result in a vast variety of new data sources. Besides directly gaining data from customers, companies also gather non-customer information by sharing across connected devices. All the technology-induced devices around us act as a portal for collecting information. A single smartphone can track the online movements of a person, as well as the real-time geographic positions. Henceforth, it is not hectic for companies to link the smartphone, laptops and desktops with home devices like voice-assistants, remote cleaners and car cameras.

Gote Nyman, a retired Psychology Professor at the University of Helsinki developed the concept that behaviour can be data mined in 2012. Data mining systems are already answering the question 'what is happening to the world?' and making tons of money doing so. Nyman believes that being able to see the intentions of the human background to know what is about to happen in the connected world is doable. The Internet-of-Behaviours (IB) is technically easy to do but very complicated psychologically. Statistical studies map everyday habits and behaviours but fall short of fully revealing meanings and contexts of individual life.

In its recent strategic predictions for 2021, Gartner announced that the Internet of Behavior is something we'll become increasingly aware of in our daily lives and work. It combines existing technologies that focus on the individual directly like facial recognition, location tracking and big data for example and connects the resulting data to associated behavioural events, such as cash purchases or device usage. Organisations can easily influence human behaviour using the method. For example, companies working on physical structures during pandemic are taking a huge risk. So it is the responsibility of the authorities to make sure that everyone is wearing masks and following social distancing. By leveraging IoB via computer vision, the authorities can see whether employees are following the protocols.

The sloppy side of IoB

Initially, IoT devices itself is a bit problematic. A lot of information is gathered through the source which primarily is a good thing because people get to benefit from the setup. But what is getting at most concern is the way the information is gathered, navigated and used, particularly at large scale.

The behaviour data can allow cybercriminals access to sensitive data that reveals consumer behaviour patterns. Cybercriminals can collect and sell to other criminals hacked property access codes, delivery routes, even bank access codes, the potential is endless. However, more likely they can take phishing to a new level by being able to better impersonate individuals for the sake of fraud or other nefarious purposes. The rapidly expanding network of IoT devices means that new cybersecurity protocols are in development and that businesses need to be ever more vigilant and proactive.