Not only are companies collecting a massive amount of data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT), they are storing it too. According to a survey of 1,000 enterprises conducted by 451 Research, 71 percent of enterprises are gathering IoT data and nearly half of the data generated are being stored. What the survey doesn't reveal is if companies are considering the legal implications of storing IoT data and preparing to deal with demands for that data from outside entities.

Some contend that the IoT is on the brink of changing life as we know it. According to Gartner, 20.8 billion objects will be connected to the internet by 2020. On their own, droves of these data-generating things will churn out an inconceivable amount of intriguing data about our patterns of behaviors. And, when they begin talking to each other, the IoT will be as prevalent as oxygen.

With the IoT's capability to fade into the background of our lives and quietly play witness to our worlds, the data it generates will pique the interest of a parade of public and private third parties that we can only begin to imagine, but that's exactly what general counsel need to do. Sit down with business executives who are spearheading IoT projects and talk about the near-future risks associated with storing IoT data, prepare to respond with requests for IoT data and think about the impact to consumers.