A platform, apparatus and method for detecting that an IoT hub communication channel has become inoperative. For example, one embodiment of an IoT system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a first communication channel; at least one IoT device communicatively coupled to the IoT hub over a second communication channel; connection monitoring logic to detect when the first communication channel between the IoT service and the IoT hub has become inoperative; notification logic to transmit a notification to a data processing device of a user of the IoT system responsive to the connection monitoring logic detecting that the first communication channel has become inoperative.