There were those videos where hackers were able to take control of the engine speed of a car by logging into the vehicle’s computer system remotely.
And then there are cameras that pose as doorbells, so you can see on your smartphone who is at your door, even when you’re not at home.
All those appliances and utilities connect to the Internet letting you control your lights, or whatever, remotely. Personal devices, phones, music players, they all log on these days.
Even a trash can is able now to automatically reorder products as you throw the packaging from items away.
It’s the Internet of Things, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning that security measures need to be installed at the design stage – to avoid later problems, Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin reports.
“We have a rapidly closing window to ensure security is accounted for at the front end of the Internet of Things phenomenon,” said Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy Robert Silvers in a recent statement promoting principles for security.
“These principles will initiate longer-term collaboration between government and industry. Together we will work to develop solutions to address the resilience of the Internet of Things so that we can continue to benefit from the remarkable innovation that is driving our increasingly connected world.”
Silver’s comments came as DHS released “Strategic Principles for Securing the Internet of Things,” which discuss approaches and practices to fortify security.
The goal is to “equip stakeholders to make responsible and risk-based security decisions as they design, manufacture, and use Internet-connected devices and systems.”
“The growing dependency on network-connected technologies is outpacing the means to secure them,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. “We increasingly rely on functional networks to advance life-sustaining activities, from self-driving cars to the control systems that deliver water and power to our homes. Securing the Internet of Things has become a matter of homeland security. The guidance we issued today is an important step in equipping companies with useful information so they can make informed security decisions.”
For the rest of this report, and more, please go to Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.
