In addition to blockchain itself, a fast-growing space in technology is the sphere of IoT (Internet of Things). These include a variety of smart devices that are starting to appear all around us, both at home and at the office. From HVAC systems to fridges, before too long once generic household items will be equipped with “smart technology.”

Consider the new smart refrigerators rolling out. They’re now designed with screens any of us would be familiar with. You can scrawl notes, swipe, check the weather, and request plugin apps from the Internet. Some of these young apps can help you place a food order or play music from Spotify! The wired programming possibilities are seemingly endless.

This example is merely one of the many representing growth in the IoT industry. Imagine a system that controlled not only temperature, but humidity. A device that scheduled functions or drove your car. Although interesting, all of this infrastructure is increasingly reliant on connectivity.

Smart home devices are fairly common with the evolution of technology.

To date, most of the discussions around IoT have dealt with the rollout of smart devices and the hardware itself. But there’s also important growth opportunities for applications that add security around these devices. It’s one thing if the digital display of your fridge malfunctions, suspending filtered water service for the day, but it’s another potentially terrifying thing if your medical device or smart car gets hacked.

It’s not just about emergency scenarios. Most users pay virtually no attention to the security of home devices once they’re installed. Not yet anyway. Gartner issued a press release predicting that more than 20 billion devices will be in use around the world by 2020. Considering how many devices each of us already owns (not to mention office hardware purchased on our behalf) you’d be hard pressed to question the relevance of the figure. Clearly, there are countless ways the IoT marketplace will continue to expand.