Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1357726
48 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2021 It would be wonderful to have a digital twin of myself, designed to take on all of the bor- ing aspects of life, leaving me free to focus on what I enjoy doing. How much work would be needed to do this, given that the digital me needs to be developed, trained and configured to make decisions, and do things in the way that I would want? How can we ensure that the benefits from our digital twins outweigh the costs? A fully functional digital twin involves more than it may initially seem. At first, we tend to think about access to information. To prepare my digital twin, I will need to prepare informa- tion about myself, details of where I live, the utilities, where I bank, the cars I drive, contact lists of family, friends and colleagues, secu- rity information, as well as my likes and dis- likes, access to social media accounts, etc. How about security? ere is a great deal of trust to be considered when creating a digital twin, as there is scope for its use both for good and evil. Unlike my physical self, my digital twin can be copied and cloned an unlimited number of times, then used by anyone for anything. Hav- ing said that, most of the information is "out there" already. It is really surprising how much personal information is willingly or unwit- tingly shared through internet-based services, especially social media. Digital twin lesson number one: Create a secure environment for my digital self. As we baby-proof our homes for newborn humans, we need to baby-proof our digital environment as well. Likewise, manufacturing digital twins must be protected with cybersecurity measures, as information includes details of production Me and My Digital Twin Smart Factory Insights by Michael Ford, AEGIS SOFTWARE