When two technology researchers said they had wirelessly hacked a Jeep Cherokee through its internet-connected system, taking control of the engine, brakes and even steering under certain conditions, automakers scrambled to reassure customers that security was a top priority.

The increasing adoption of IoT within industrial settings will result in a substantial growth of the number of connected industrial devices, in particular industrial control devices like PLCs, according to ABI Research. The research firm estimates that over the period from 2014 to 2020, the number of connected industrial controllers will triple, growing at an average rate of 20 percent.

Could it be that the Internet of Things is actually under-hyped? Yes - it could have a total economic impact between $3.9tr and $11tr a year by 2025, including $410bn to $1.2tr per year in retail environments.

IT departments need to watch out for business units or even individual workers going rogue and bypassing IT to go straight to the cloud.