assignment

HACKING SMART THINGS

Y*A,* immy hAXXym noticed a recent trend in TV com- mercials for cars. Many car manufacturers are focusing on

technology-centric special features. One of the most popu-

lar add-ons right now is adding the capability to turn your car into an Internet hot spot. Sure, allowing your friends to

check their social media updates using your car's Wi-Fi sounds pretty cool. But there may be some unintended risks

associated with incorporating this capability into your car-or any device, for that matter. What if one of your pas- sengers used that Wi-Fi connection to access your car's brakes?

lnternet of Things (loT) You may have aiready heard of the Internet oJ Thinlls (IoT), or the

idea that objects are becoming connected to the Internet so they can interact with other devices, applications, or services. Count- Iess companies are working to capitalize on the possibilities of new "smart" products designed to automatically communicate with other devices and exchange data with little or no intervention by the user. The trend of developing nerrr,, Internet-enabled devices is so

widespread that some estimates place the number of IoT devices at

roughly 2 1 billion by 2o2l.t1 But what can all of these new

smart devices be used for? Take home automation, for example. The home automation market is growing rapidly with new Internet-

enabled devices like thermostats, smoke detectors, light bulbs, sur- veillance cameras, and door locks gaining in popularity.l2 These devices allow a homeowner to

remotely monitor the temperature of the home, turn lishi. on or off, or remotely keep an eye on the family dog bl' taF- ping into a webcam feed. While all of these capabilities seer: like a great idea and add convenience to daily life, the trend c:

outfitting every object with Internet access may prove to be a

hazardous, even dangerous, proposition.

Internet of Threats You might already be aware of some of the types of securitl- threats on the Internet. If you tune in to the evening news on any given night, you will see stories about data stolen from

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SECURITY GUIDE Hacking Smart Things

vehicle, he or she could then remotely control various func- tions of the vehicle (e.g., the brakes), keep tabs on your GPS coordinates, activate the Bluetooth microphone and listen to anything taking place inside of the car, or access data about the vehicle's operations and performance.l3 The thought of someone eavesdropping on your conversations in the car is bad enough. But what would happen if the hacker activates the brakes, or disables them, while you are driving? What happens when driverless cars become widely adopted and hackers could have complete control over the vehicle?

As more and more devices are accessible over some form

of network, users will have to weigh the pros and the cons of using them. But securing these new smart devices will take additional work. The same thing that makes these devices great will also make them vulnerable to attack. Yes, of course, a smart thermostat will save you money. But what happens when it gets a virus? Will you be the one running a temperature?

Has this guide changed your perception of the Internet of Things? Do the benefits of smart devices outweigh the risk

of data loss or your personal privacy? Why or why not? The Internet of Things is not solely focused on home automation or private consumer products. Businesses are using the Internet of Things to manage supply chains and streamline various business processes. What ben- efits or risks are associated with businesses adopting new Internet-enabled devices?

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:ii: Jr)rpor?tions, government insiders leaking sensitive --. ::ration, or cyberattacks launched from around the

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'tt,'hat does this have to do with you? Well, you have sen- : :-',. lnlbrmation, too. How would you feel if your bank -.i;iments, medical records, and email history for the past : '. rars n-ere stolen and posted online? You probably are tak- .::n steps to avoid these threats lihe running antivirus soft- rtare, enabling automatic updates, using your operating system's default firewall, avoiding suspicious emails, and staying away from shady Web sites.

But what about securing your data stored on these new Internet-enabled smart devices? Think about the security implications ol having to protect 10, 20, or 30 different Internet-enabled devices in your home. Wil you have to buy antivirus software for your refrigerator or configure a fire- wall on your thermostat? Could a hacker hijack the webcam in your living room or, worse, actually hijack your car?

Taking Back-Seat Driver to a Whole New Level Yes, a hacker could potentially compromise your car if it is connected to the Internet. If a hacker takes control of vour

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How many devices in your home are connected to the Internet? How much time do you spend daily, weekly, or monthly trying to ensure that these devices have the lat- est updates and are secure? What are the implications of maintaining dozens of smart devices? The guide discusses the potential threat of a hacker accessing a vehicle and downloading data about the car's performance and operations. Aside from a malicious hacker acting alone, are there any businesses or govern-

ment agencies that could benefit from accessing these data? How?

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