It doesn't take a genius to realise that connecting a lethal device to a network that can be hacked is not a great idea. This piece from Marketwatch has an example.
Chris Valasek, director of security intelligence at the computer security company IOActive, spent about a year researching how to hack cars and found that “unfortunately, these things were designed a long time ago” and there’s often no authentication process to supervise who can access a car’s controls. He took control of the wheels, brakes, accelerations and displays in a Toyota Prius and a Ford Escape.
But the biggest problem is that cheap connected devices produced in their hundreds of millions provide exactly zero reason for the manufacturer to make it, or keep it, safe.
They are, and will be, made with highly standardised chips that are programmed once for whatever function they should perform and will niot even have the capability for the software to be upgraded, prtoected or enhanced. Lets face it, even computer makers don't support their products forever, XP anyone? But at least they have a case for provisding some ongoing protection. If you pay $50 for the device and maybe $1 for the chip, you will get what you pay for in protection - none.
It will take just one hacker to find the way in and every device using the chip will be at risk and you will never know it has been hacked until whatever shit hits whatever fan. It may even be the fan itself.
You wont know what chip is in the device, let alone how to access it yourself and it wont matter because there will be nothing you can do. The chips will be replaced in the production line at least once a year so your 2 year-old device will we all but forgotten by its maker who will have no interest in it at all.
I'm a huge fan of this stuff, but after nearly 20 years of being closely involved with it, I'm also aware of its limitations. I will NOT be buying connected devices and I will NOT be allowing those devices I can't avoid buying to connect to my network. Since I live far enough from any community/free/4G access points, the device will be isolated. You may not be so lucky.
In the old days we talked about what would happen when we reached critical mass of adoption. We are well past that but another critical mass may be coming up, the connected device. That is a step too far. We, of course, WILL take it. It will be a very bad idea.
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