The IoT ecosystem
By 2020, there will be more than 50 billion connected devices. This huge number of devices will come with a huge number of new threats. As penetration testers, we need to be ready to resist this technological apocalypse. The IoT ecosystem is based on many factors, which we've also shown in the following image:
- Business opportunities
- Public authorities
- Consumers
- Infrastructure

IoT project architecture
Like any technical project, a typical IoT project is composed of many components, as follows (see the following image):
- Remote devices
- Data storage
- IoT devices (for example, CCTV cameras, home routers, printers, industrial systems, and connected cars)
- Gateway
This illustration shows a typical architecture of an IoT project:

IoT protocols
In a typical IoT project, a lot of protocols are involved to make sure that the requirements are met. They are divided into different layers. The following are some well-known IoT protocols:
- Wi-Fi: This is a widely used protocol among IoT developers. It...