There has been a lot of talk about the “Internet of Things” (IoT). But what exactly does that term mean in the realm of cyberspace?

For the human race, relatively disorganized by nature, the “Internet of Things” is a great innovation. However, for people who value their privacy, the “Internet of Things” could be considered a massive intrusion.

Essentially, the “Internet of Things” means having all electronic devices, and many other things, connected and interacting in real time with the Internet in some way so that they can be tracked and monitored. By having everything categorized in this way via the Internet “cloud”, the reasoning goes, you will be able to better organize your life by not having to pay attention to your life.

There are advantages to such an existence. Having your phone ring and remind you to buy eggs because your fridge sent a notification telling your phone that it’s almost out of eggs, for example. Who doesn’t want to be reminded that they are almost out of eggs?

Or you can set up your home security system through your phone. Or you can lock your vehicle using your phone or portable device. If you’re tech-savvy enough, you can use a portable device to track and organize anything you think is important enough to track and organize.

The downside of the “Internet of Things” is that it is potentially vulnerable to surveillance, either by companies or the government. While the government isn’t necessarily going to be interested whether you’re almost out of eggs or not, there are plenty of companies that would love to hear about your egg-buying routine. And they’re willing to pay staggering amounts of money for that kind of information so they can more accurately target their online ads to egg buyers like you.

So how can you protect your privacy if you decide to go the way of the “Internet of Things”? Here are some easy tips:

1.) Know what is important. If you’re putting RFID tags on your eggs, rather than writing a note to yourself that you need to buy eggs, you’re probably taking the concept of the “Internet of Things” a little too far.

2.) If you notice that online ads seem to be especially targeted at you, you might want to consider going offline for a bit. At a minimum, turn off or limit your Internet browser’s ability to activate cookies. “Cookies” is a cute way of saying “tracking mechanisms.” Cookies store your browsing history, passwords, usernames, and more. They can make your electronic life infinitely more convenient, but they can also be used to track a staggering amount of personal information.

3.) Protect your WiFi and cloud passwords. Too many people use their birthdays, pet names, social security numbers, or other ridiculously silly identifiers that even moderate hackers can crack. The “Internet of Things” will become your digital playground if people don’t take simple precautions with passwords. Prankster hackers can open and close your garage door; Expert hackers can destroy your life with little effort in the world of the “Internet of Things”.

4.) Remember, the “Internet of Things” is essentially a convenience. It is not a necessity. If you’re using a mobile device to turn your attic light on and off from three states away, you’re using it in a frivolous and unnecessary way. If you are using it to monitor your security system and alert authorities, you are using it correctly.

Ultimately, the “Internet of Things” represents just the latest in the continued evolution of the Internet. It will almost certainly be a different picture six months from now.