IoT typically represents a network of physical objects (or “things”) embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity to enable those objects to exchange data with the manufacturer, operator, cloud and/or other connected devices.
The end of 2018 saw a rash of cyberattacks mounted by way of networked printers. In one notable incident, as reported by Kaspersky, a hacker targeted 50,000 printers and caused them to print a message supporting a YouTuber named PewDiePie. According to Kaspersky, the hacker had utilized Shodan, a search engine for devices, and found no fewer than 800,000 vulnerable printers from which to choose. This story, and many others like it, should alarm anyone tasked with cyber security duties. The ubiquitous printer can be a dangerous, overlooked attack surface.
Anyone that follows the world through tradeshows for long enough knows they are cyclic. Whether that’s the rise and fall of events or the themes within events, patterns start to emerge.
Mobile World Congress is no different.
Smartphones may get faster, the stands may get bigger *; but recurrent themes start to emerge.
The growth in usage means that there is an increase in sensitive data being installed, stored and generated on mobile devices. That data is the users’ personal data – governed by privacy legalisation like GDPR; it is the Intellectual Property in the apps; and it is secrets like cryptographic keys that are used to secure both the data on the device and access to backend services.
Today’s cars have more in common with powerful computers than with their mechanical machine ancestors.
And as more and more cars become internet-connected, cybersecurity has become a pressing issue for the automotive industry.
Money20/20 is always a special event. Surrounded by the wonderful madness of Las Vegas, the great and the good of the financial world descend to discuss serious topics that will shape the industry in the years to come.
Identity was one of the early themes to merge from the show. Conference tracks on the Sunday were dedicated to the subject – with the always insightful Dave Birch reminding everyone not to digitise existing forms of identity but to create truly digital identity.