Internet of Things: Have We Bitten Off More Than We Can Chew?

Hackers commandeered web cameras and possibly other devices to launch an attack on internet service management company Dyn. The company reports that it fended off multiple attacks in recent weeks. All types of gadgets for homes, cars and offices are linked to the internet to allow remote monitoring by users and updates from makers, and one security expert suggests that any device with an IP address is vulnerable. More than 6 billion such devices are in use, and the total is expected to grow threefold by 2020. Security is costly, but consumers pursue electronics with the lowest cost. “The attack on Dyn was a wake-up call for consumers and manufacturers,” report Alyssa Newcomb and Jo Ling Kent for NBC. “Chinese electronics firm Hangzhou XiongMai, which makes components for surveillance cameras, issued a recall for some of its devices sold in the United States after security researchers determined they may have been compromised and used in the attack.” The company warns that devices are easily accessed when users do not change their default user name and password. – YaleGlobal