IoT Servers Let Hackers Unlock Prison Cells
A researcher has found an often-misconfigured protocol puts sex toys, heart monitors, and even oil pipelines and particle accelerators at risk of attack.
Commenting on the news is Cesare Garlati, chief security strategist at the prpl Foundation. He said: "More and more industries are starting to rely on connected devices and smart sensors to help and make life more efficient. However, these cases are yet another reminder of how the Internet of Things, praised for convenience and connectivity, is very vulnerable to cyber-attacks; and therefore, presents a tangible risk to human lives.
"Protection for these dangers requires a little lateral thinking and from a development point of view this means no more hard-coded passwords that can easily be accessed. Hardware based security is also advised that establishes a root of trust in the device itself and uses security by separation to protect the most critical system components from tampering.
"As the Internet of Things and connected embedded computing begin to have influence in every part of our lives, we need to come together as an industry and rethink our approach to securing and managing these devices before they are turned into weapons against us."
