Why IoT Security Is So Critical (techcrunch.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Software engineer Ben Dickson starts off an opinion piece about Internet of Things security with this amusing comment: "Twenty years ago, if you told me my phone could be used to steal the password to my email account or to take a copy of my fingerprint data, I would've laughed at you and said you watch too much James Bond. But today, if you tell me that hackers with malicious intents can use my toaster to break into my Facebook account, I will panic and quickly pull the plug from the evil appliance." Dickson then lays out many of the issues with securing internet-connected devices, and explains the work being done to make them more secure. He highlights areas that manufacturers must focus on: "In contrast to human-controlled devices, they go through a one-time authentication process, which can make them perfect sources of infiltration into company networks. Therefore, more security needs to be implemented on these gateways to improve the overall security of the system. ... There also must be a sound plan for installing security updates on IoT devices. Each consumer will likely soon own scores — if not hundreds — of connected devices. The idea of manually installing updates on so many devices is definitely out of the question, but having them automatically pushed by manufacturers also can be a risky business."

Comments

Why the Internet of Things is so stupid

[mbone]

Fixed that headline for you.

Engineers with a hammer treating everything as a nail, and marketeers seeking to mine information from everyone's daily actions are evidently a very bad combination.

Re:What is IoT?

[Lumpy]

Hackers are not going to do a home invasion. Stop being a paranoid conspiracy nut who likes spreading fear.

Less than 7% of all burglaries are home invasions (US gov data, go look it up). you have a significantly higher chance of dying in your bathtub, or your car exploding on your way to work than a home invasion.

Lastly, 99% of all home invasions are done by drugged out violent criminals, not highly educated and skilled hackers. That last 1%? done by people you know.