October is the Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Awareness Month. News of IoT device hacks and other things to think about...
Numbers represent search interest for “internet of things” and “cyber security” relative to the highest point on this Google Trends chart for the past 5 years. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term, where 50 means the term is half as popular.
Turns out the Internet-of-Things (IoT) is more than just the next $19 trillion market ripe for venture capital investment. It’s also the newest dimension from which dark side hackers stage and launch attacks on their prey. The chart above reflects this new challenge facing building operators: interest in the IoT links to interest in cyber security. Ted Koppel–of Nightline, NPR, and CBS fame–focuses on the threat of cyber attacks directed at the U.S. electrical grid in his book Lights Out. “It’s not a question of if,” says Centcom Commander General Lloyd Austin, “it’s a question of when.”
Cyber security is certainly a top priority for Brian Krebs, an expert reporter on the cyber security beat. After writing about an online attack-for-hire service, his website became a target of retribution. What’s particularly interesting for building operators is how Brian’s website was attacked…through IoT device hacks like web enabled closed-circuit security cameras and 11,767 residential internet routers.
In announcing October as the National Cyber Security Awareness Month, President Obama stated “Technology plays an increasingly significant role in our daily lives. The rise of the Internet has brought incredible opportunity and new ways of innovating and enhancing our way of life — but with great potential also comes heightened risk to our data. Keeping cyberspace secure is a matter of national security, and in order to ensure we can reap the benefits and utility of technology while minimizing the dangers and threats it presents, we must continue to make cybersecurity a top priority.”
IoT device hacks have happened to wi-fi connected Barbie dolls and Jeep Grand Cherokees, medical devices like pacemakers, and even auto-aiming sniper rifles! According to the the Department of Homeland Security, often the weakest link is the human using a computer at work. Everyone in the building, from the entry-level employee to the CEO and building owner, shares responsibility for security best practices.
