Page 45 - Cyber Warnings

The Internet of Things

Exchanging Convenience for Security
by Daniel Jetton, VP Cyber Services, OBXtek, Inc.

Prologue
Picture this scenario. Recently, I purchased a smart grill, which automatically starts and heats
up via an app I can set on my phone. Additionally, it senses when my food is the correct
temperature for retrieval. One day I receive a text message from someone calling himself
“Xtrakt0R79”. Xtr@kt0r79 texts me that he has hacked my grill and has fired it up to 500
degrees. The gauge is rapidly approaching the danger zone. I quickly hit another app on my
phone, connecting to the Wi-Fi camera on my back patio. I can clearly see the hot grill with heat
waves dispersing in the air above it. The hacker is asking for $75 transferred via bitcoin or
crypto-currency to keep from superheating the unit and possibly starting a fire on my patio. I
have 20 minutes to comply and 30 minutes to complete the funds transfer. What do I do? I
should have secured these apps and devices better. Was there a default password I should
have changed? Can the hacker access other smart technology in my house? From where will
the next ransom request come?

Introduction
The term “Internet of Things (IoT)” is used to describe the increasingly networked machine-to-
machine/network-to-network communications that is built on cloud computing and various
sensors. The IoT exists in an instantaneous, virtual and mobile environment. The term IoT is
sometimes used synonymously with “smart” hardware, describing how the hardware reacts and
sometimes anticipates our needs (like turning on the lights or otherwise reacting to voice
commands). These smart devices are not equipped with artificial intelligence, but use sensors
and commands that automate tasks we humans no longer have time or the inclination to do
(Burrus, 2017). The three major drivers of this IoT technology are decreased computing and
storage costs, pervasive cheap and tiny sensors, and ubiquitous connectivity (Jontz, 2017).
Objects like smart thermostats learn your house habits to adjust temperatures that keep you
most comfortable when home and save money when you are not. Smart lights may go off when
they sense no movement or have reached a programmed time. They may also turn off when
you press a button on your phone or use a voice command. Between you and the smart device
exists a network and internet cloud that decipher and transmit the data from sender to receiver.

The cleverest part of the Internet of Things is not necessarily that you can tell devices to do
things, but that devices can tell you things. A moisture detector can alert you to a flooding
basement via your phone. Smart cement can detect warps, cracks and stress fractures on
bridges and roads and automatically notify authorities to prevent a calamity. Similar sensors on
your car can detect ice on a sloped road and automatically slow your vehicle (Burrus, 2017). In
traffic, anyone with the Waze application on their smart or tablet device can use the GPS and
algorithm (and network of users) to determine the fastest way home.

45 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – June 2017 Edition
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