The Internet of Things (IW) is a modern concept for the development of communication networks in the short and long term. The concept implies the integration of devices (“things”), equipped with built-in technologies for interacting with each other or with the external environment, into a single worldwide network. Today, the number of devices connected to the network exceeds the number of all inhabitants of the planet and continues to grow rapidly, which raises the question of assigning each object a unique address to ensure confidentiality and security during data transmission, as well as unique identification of Internet of Things on the global network. The article presents a method for identifying devices and applications of the Internet of Things in heterogeneous communication networks based on the Digital Objects Architecture. It is also proposed to develop methods for installing the DO identifier into devices of the Internet of things with various wireless data transmission modules. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.