Internet of Things vs. Insecurity of Things
Many videos like the one above focus on the positive outcomes of IoT. Exciting prospects such as smart cities already make us dream of a better future. However, there are risks involved that shouldn’t be ignored if we want a smooth and safe transition into this new age.
The insecurity of things
For our IoT Beginners (you know who you are, and if not, take our test) this is what you need to know. Cyber risk and privacy threats have led to the following IoT related past and potential incidents in the headlines:Victim 1: St. Jude's cardiac devices: “Hearts can be hacked”
In United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) confirmed that cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators from the company St. Jude Medicals were vulnerable to hackers.Read the full story
Victim 2: Baby monitors and webcam hacks
At Driven by Tech, we know young working parents and find it very sad when hackers target the most innocent and vulnerable part of our society. We have gathered three articles that explains the issues with baby monitors and webcams.Report: Some top baby monitors vulnerable to hackers
Owlet Baby Wi-Fi Monitor “Worst IoT Security Of 2016”
Webcam Maker Takes FTC's Heat for Internet-of-Things Security Failure
Victim 3: Our cars can get hacked
In July 2015, researchers were able to take total control of a Jeep SUV using the vehicle’s CAN bus. They could make the vehicle speed up, slow down and even veer off the road.Read the full story
Victim 4: Our Homes
Our most intimate and private space could become unsafe. You smart lock won't open the door, the alarm goes off for no reason, and the tv starts showing images from your webcams - all of this because of hackers.Read the full story
Victim 5: Internet’s domain name system (DNS) infrastructure.
Dym, a company that controls much of the DNS infrastructure, was hit on 21 October 2016, bringing down popular sites such as Twitter, the Guardian, Netflix, Reddit and CNN. The hackers used IoT to do so.Read the full story
So who wins: the Internet of Things or the Insecurity of Things?
Nalini
Nalini is passionate about technology and innovation management. She blogs about the impact of emerging technologies, particularly IoT, on homes and industries. She dreams of applying this knowledge to help overcome important challenges in developing countries.
Send her an email