PhD TIM- Integrate Feedback Level Assignment-Please add diagrams, chat figures to support any assertions

Problem Statement

Emerging Trends in IoT in Development Countries

The internet of things is positively changing the whole globe of business in all sectors. It has transformed the description of how an interconnected world looks (Arora et al., 2019). The technology connects physical things and works and performs tasks like people with the help of machine learning and artificial intelligence. This technology is expected to move faster with a tremendous speed within the next 20 years. Businesses and consumers are expected to get the greatest innovations through IoT, where its products will be more successful (Manda & Ben Dhaou, 2019). This massive growth is seeing different trends that will help in elevating various sectors. However, the IoT trend comes with both positive and negative benefits. One trend that is of the most significant challenge is security concerns. Currently, due to the massive growth in IoT, more problems have emerged. This problem revolves around security issues like cybersecurity problems that are a considerable risk to businesses, industries, and even individual people. Thus, there is a need to learn more about the security concerns that come with IoT to help different sectors on how they can mitigate the problems that come with the trends and effectively benefit from IoT (Sfar et al., 2018). The security concern trend needs to be addressed due to its substantial negative impacts it can cause to the business, governments, and the people.

IoT boom has brought to us security concerns that would not have been thought of decades ago. With over 20 billion devices online and in public domains by the year 2020 and organizations continuously looking for new opportunities in the IoT, it's essential to recognize the security threats that revolve around this technology (Kobusińska et al., 2018). These threats move from privacy issues, hardware issues, data encryption problems, insecure software, lack of user awareness and knowledge, and botnet attacks. These issues will continue to affect the technology if not addressed. For instance, in 2016, hackers found a weakness in a particular security camera model. Around 300,000 IoT video recorders begun to make attacks on various social network websites, which brought down various platforms like Twitter for over two hours (Radovan & Golub, 2017). This attack shows an example of how security issues around IoT technology can impact organizations. This issue affects all sectors, and there is a need to explore further and understand it (Agarwal & Nethravathi, 2021). Moreover, there is a need to learn more about ethics, security, and privacy issues surrounding IoT. This will help create solutions for the problems and find out ways the different sectors can mitigate the security problems created by IoT.

Stakeholders need to understand that this research is vital. Currently, security and IoT are still not found in the same places and are not adequately researched. It's important to understand that there are still many risks and security challenges of IoT, and more will inevitably emerge in the years to come (Hopalı & Vayvay, 2018). This issue will lead to more severe consequences like financial losses, damaging business reputation, disruption of regular services, stealing from customers, diverting potential customers, and even business closure. Thus, this research is essential to help find ways to avoid the problem.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine emerging trends in IoT in development countries including threats, vulnerabilities, challenges, and benefits. IoT has become integral part of businesses in the global networks. The concept presents opportunities, threats, and benefits which are vital for economic growth (Polat & Sodah, 2019). The study method will consider both qualitative as the research study method. The study design will entail structured questionnaires to organizations, interviews with stakeholders, and analysis of secondary data on the topic. The independent variable IoT in development countries will compare to dependent variables threats, vulnerabilities, challenges, and benefits of IoT. Developing countries are continuously using technology to create social changes and innovations (Polat & Sodah, 2019). Both firms and stakeholders need to be included in the IoT topic. The study’s target population will include organizations which apply IoT in operations. Also, IoT stakeholders’ subgroup will articulate the impact of IoT in development countries.

A descriptive research setting seeks to provide in-depth information and insights on the topic. Descriptive statistics will be applied for comparison purposes as well as in stipulating the metrics to be used in measuring the effectiveness of the strategy proposal. Creating a relationship between the variables through descriptive statistics provide systematic approach of the topic (Yellapu, 2018). The sampling frame would include unique identifiers apart from names of ten organizations and five stakeholders in the study. Non-probability sampling method, in particular purposive sampling, will be applied in the rationale of inclusion. Sample size will involve 10 organizations and 5 stakeholders. Questionnaires and structured interviews will be used as part of the data collection methods. Further, secondary data literature will be used to provide secondary information. Content and discourse analysis would facilitate coding and theme generations regarding the topic. The Quirkos software will be used to visualize and analyze data.

Emerging Trends in IoT in Development Countries-Research Questions

Developing countries realize the importance of technology and have advocated for IoT in most of its economic and social sectors. The continuous uses of technology to ensure that social changes are fostered are one of the main initiatives that the authorities advocate for. The focus on the application of IoT narrows down to firms (Budde, 2020). This is because the firms are at the forefront on the adoption of the latest technology in IoT. They make up the trendsetters, as they are ready to adopt by the latest technology in IoT to ensure that they operate at a competitive advantage over their competitors. The application of the latest practice is focused on the creation better understanding on why IoT is important to the countries.

Focusing on the threats is the other focal point of concern for the study. The use of a qualitative approach in understanding the threats and vulnerability that comes through the process. The focus is understanding how the threats normally emerge and how they could be addressed before they negatively affect the society. The focus on the benefits and challenges is a key focus on the study as they affect the progress of IoT within the developing countries. The research questions below allow further research to be conducted to understand the issue in a broader perspective.

1. What are some of the emerging trends in IoT among developing countries?

2. Could you describe the common threats and vulnerabilities affecting IoT in developing countries?

3. What are the benefits that come with the trends in IoT among developing countries?

4. Could you identify the challenges experienced by developing countries created by the emerging trends in IoT