The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly emerging field of technologies that delivers numerous cutting-edge solutions in various domains including the critical infrastructures. Thanks to the IoT, the conventional power system network can be transformed into an effective and smarter energy grid. In this article, we review the architecture and functionalities of IoT-enabled smart energy grid systems. Specifically, we focus on different IoT technologies including sensing, communication, computing technologies, and their standards in relation to smart energy grid. This article also presents a comprehensive overview of existing studies on IoT applications to the smart grid system. Based on recent surveys and literature, we observe that the security vulnerabilities related to IoT technologies have been attributed as one of the major concerns of IoT-enabled energy systems. Therefore, we review the existing threat and attack models for IoT-enabled energy systems and summarize mitigation techniques for those security vulnerabilities. Finally, we highlight how advanced technologies (e.g., blockchain, machine learning, and artificial intelligence) can complement IoT-enabled energy systems to be more resilient and secure and overcome the existing difficulties so that they become more effective, robust, and reliable in operation. Precisely, this article will help understand the framework for IoT-enabled smart energy system, associated security vulnerabilities, and prospects of advanced technologies to improve the effectiveness of smart energy systems.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly impacted the entire world today and stalled off regular human activities in such an unprecedented way that it will have an unforgettable footprint on the history of mankind. Different countries have adopted numerous measures to build resilience against this life-threatening disease. However, the highly contagious nature of this pandemic has challenged the traditional healthcare and treatment practices. Thus, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) open up new mechanisms for effective healthcare during this pandemic. AI and ML can be useful for medicine development, designing efficient diagnosis strategies and producing predictions of the disease spread. These applications are highly dependent on real-time monitoring of the patients and effective coordination of the information, where the Internet of Things (IoT) plays a key role. IoT can also help with applications such as automated drug delivery, responding to patient queries, and tracking the causes of disease spread. This paper represents a comprehensive analysis of the potential AI, ML, and IoT technologies for defending against the COVID-19 pandemic. The existing and potential applications of AI, ML, and IoT, along with a detailed analysis of the enabling tools and techniques are outlined. A critical discussion on the risks and limitations of the aforementioned technologies are also included.