Smart home, network security take center stage at IoT expo

Internet of things applications in the fields of security and smart home solutions are receiving greater attention on the world stage than ever before, and they feature as a highlight of this year's World Internet of Things Exposition that gets under way today.

Security risks related to IoT are increasing, according to Han Yonggang, vice-president of 360 Enterprise Security Group, who emphasizes that it's the responsibility of internet security enterprises, smart device manufacturers, software system suppliers and industrial enterprises to uphold IoT security.

At the expo, 360 Enterprise Security will showcase its latest internet security projects which feature greater network breach detection and protection for the industrial internet and IoT than is currently available.

"IoT-based smart systems are not capable of providing strong security defense due to the lack of a unified standard and sufficient experience of security developers. Invasion of the systems can lead to leaks of users' personal data or even threaten safety," Han said.

As the birthplace of China's IoT industry, the Wuxi city government is paying a great deal of attention to data security and cooperated with 360 Enterprise Security in July to build a national demonstration center for internet security.

Smart applications across a range of industries will also be showcased at the World IoT Expo.

Renowned Chinese home appliance manufacturer, Haier Group, will showcase its intelligent smart products ranging from refrigerators to air conditioners at the expo based on its U+ smart home platform.

Using the platform, customers can access real-time information about their home appliances on their mobile devices via a dedicated mobile app, allowing them to monitor and control appliances remotely.

"Users are able to enjoy customized and instant services in the age of IoT with Haier," said Li Fusheng, chief information officer of the global information platform of Haier Group.

One example of Haier's latest platform are its intelligent air conditioners, which can compare indoor and outdoor temperatures and humidity changes in real time and then automatically make adjustments while adding purification functions. The appliances can also forecast future weather conditions and environmental information for the specific area where the user is located.

Voice control will be one of the features of Haier's showroom display with fast responses given to spoken enquiries.

In 2017, Haier set up more than 1,800 offline smart home experience stores and that year sold more than 18 million smart household appliances. There are currently more than 55 million users of such devices from Haier.

In May, Haier cooperated with Wuxi Xinwu district to build a base to develop its IoT ecosystem using a total investment of 5 billion yuan ($730 million).

The 2018 World Internet of Things Exposition has attracted over 450 companies to showcase their latest IoT applications and products, 35 of which are Fortune Global 500 companies. The expo runs from Sept 15 to 18.