The use of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies enables retailers and manufacturers to better track their products from the beginning of the manufacturing process at their source vendors all the way through delivery to the end customers. It can alert the retailer and manufacturer of discrepancies as they happen, saving them from discovery by the retailer or customer after delivery, says Dan Mitchell, director of the Global Retail Practice at SAS.

There's no doubt that the IoT has had a profound effect on the supply chain, adds David Hood, ‎director, Technology Marketing, with Mimecast, as the ability to harness data points and apply Big Data technologies makes companies far more responsive and adaptable to shifting demand. "Collaboration inter-company has never been easier with platforms that promote sharing information, documents and key data. The challenge is doing so while still being cognizant of the security and data risks that exist."

Sue Marquette Poremba has been writing about network security since 2008. In addition to her coverage of security issues for IT Business Edge, her security articles have been published at various sites such as Forbes, Midsize Insider and Tom's Guide. You can reach Sue via Twitter: @sueporemba