October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the theme this week is:
The Future of Connected Devices
Caren Shiozaki | November 2, 2020
The final week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, started on Monday 26Oct and the theme was:
The Future of Connected Devices.
Technological innovations, such as 5G, will impact consumers’ and business’ online experiences (e.g. faster speeds and data transmission, larger attack surface for hackers). Also consider how people/infrastructure can adapt to the continuous evolution of the connected devices moving forward. No matter what the future holds, however, every user needs to be empowered to do their part. #BeCYBERSMART
I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.
In the classic movie “2001 A Space Odyssey,” HAL was a sentient computer on a spaceship. HAL learns that Dr. Dave Bowman intends to switch him off, so HAL decides to neutralize Dave.
Our current day smart devices can be as creepy as HAL.
Smart coffee machines that are connected to the internet using special apps could be targeted by hackers to steal your bank or card details. These machines allow you to control them remotely using your phones. Some even use vocal commands if they are connected to virtual assistants. Coffee machines are not designed for security. They are additional vectors to get into your network.
What if your coffee maker demanded ransom from you?
https://gizmodo.com/this-hacked-coffee-maker-demands-ransom-and-demonstrate-1845191662
Smart TVs are popular, but the manufacturers didn’t think about embedding security into their design. As a result, they are vulnerable to different types of threats. Hackers can not only control your unsecured TV to change channels and volume controls, but also stalk your movements and conversations using the integrated camera and microphone,
And we’ve heard stories about smart home systems being exploited.
https://www.fox6now.com/news/felt-so-violated-milwaukee-couple-warns-hackers-are-outsmarting-smart-homes
On the office front, don’t get “faxploited” by your unsecured fax machine. Fax machines have security vulnerabilities that could possibly allow a hacker to steal data through a company’s network using just a phone line and a fax number. Cyber attackers send specially created malware coded image files via fax to the targeted networks. The vulnerabilities in the fax machine enable the malware to decode the files and upload these to its memory, which can breach sensitive information or cause disruption across connected networks.
As we enter 2021, we’ll continue to see the IoT space evolve.
- There will new and more interoperable smart home devices.
- 5G and Edge computing will drive next-to-real time data analytics for IoT devices.
- Healthcare will expand adoption of IoT tech.
- By the end of 2021, it could be unusual to work with a company that doesn’t use IoT in some way.
Cybersecurity will continue to be a major concern, as IoT endpoints remain uniquely vulnerable to attacks. In this next phase of internet connected devices, it’s critical to think in terms of what NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) calls the “Trustworthy Network of Things.” This article provides some good information on addressing 6 major IoT security issues:
https://www.aiiottalk.com/internet-of-things/how-to-handle-iot-security-issues/