Skybird
10-22-16, 06:57 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/22/business/internet-problems-attack.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=3
Still want to have all your money in digital format only, imagining that that is "safe"? Still want to vote over internet? Having your sensible business data in the cloud or on a web-connected device of any kind? Still don't care for your health and profile data beign an open book to anyone wanting to read it?
This recent attack showed a new quality and gives a peek at things to come. The internet of things, as they call it, will come at the cost of security vulnerabilities that simply are too high than to see them as getting compensated by what is gained in lazy comfortability when using it.
Imagine Russia directly hacking into the elections and vote counting in the US. China manipulating vent pressure in North Sea oil field infrastructure. One nation attacking another nation by opening a dam or bringing down air control networks. Consider that the US and Israel already did stuff like that in Iran (Stuxnet). And that Russia does that ost likely in the Ukraine. And that every ally spies on every other ally.
The vulnerability of business and economy to these kinds of attacks, thanks to the internet of things, is a nightmare. And no, they will not "solve" it. In principle there is no solution to it. The internet of things does not leave you with an ill-locked door - it leaves you with the doors not just wide open, but being ripped out and taken away, and a hole in the wall where there once was a door that you could at least try to lock.
Its as if people voluntarily agree to play Russian roulette once a day. There is no solution to the chance of that your next attempt on the next day gets you the bullet. The only solution is to refuse to play, and to refuse to voluntarily raise the weapon to your head and pull the trigger.
When I first heard about the conception of the so-called internet of things years ago , it took me just some seconds to realise the full scale of the potential risks, and I found them to be terrifying. All I thought was "Oh. My. God."
Summer this year some security expert analysed the known events on attacks on and malfunctions of the computer infrastructure of stock exchanges. His institute came to the conclusion that the yearly damage from manipulation and follow-on effects of malfunctions - automatic computer routines taking over due to so-called hyper-trading, and the resulting distortions in stock indices - reach into the high billions. With a chance of that the unknown, black numbers indeed already range beyond the trillion-barrier. Much secrecy there, wanted by econmic monopolists, banks, and national governments. The game must be protected, no matter how much rigged it already is.
I kno that high tech gadgets and all that stuff is fascinating, makes you curious, and attracted, I tick like that myself. But still - be careful what you wish for, guys. And learn to say No more often.
Still want to have all your money in digital format only, imagining that that is "safe"? Still want to vote over internet? Having your sensible business data in the cloud or on a web-connected device of any kind? Still don't care for your health and profile data beign an open book to anyone wanting to read it?
This recent attack showed a new quality and gives a peek at things to come. The internet of things, as they call it, will come at the cost of security vulnerabilities that simply are too high than to see them as getting compensated by what is gained in lazy comfortability when using it.
Imagine Russia directly hacking into the elections and vote counting in the US. China manipulating vent pressure in North Sea oil field infrastructure. One nation attacking another nation by opening a dam or bringing down air control networks. Consider that the US and Israel already did stuff like that in Iran (Stuxnet). And that Russia does that ost likely in the Ukraine. And that every ally spies on every other ally.
The vulnerability of business and economy to these kinds of attacks, thanks to the internet of things, is a nightmare. And no, they will not "solve" it. In principle there is no solution to it. The internet of things does not leave you with an ill-locked door - it leaves you with the doors not just wide open, but being ripped out and taken away, and a hole in the wall where there once was a door that you could at least try to lock.
Its as if people voluntarily agree to play Russian roulette once a day. There is no solution to the chance of that your next attempt on the next day gets you the bullet. The only solution is to refuse to play, and to refuse to voluntarily raise the weapon to your head and pull the trigger.
When I first heard about the conception of the so-called internet of things years ago , it took me just some seconds to realise the full scale of the potential risks, and I found them to be terrifying. All I thought was "Oh. My. God."
Summer this year some security expert analysed the known events on attacks on and malfunctions of the computer infrastructure of stock exchanges. His institute came to the conclusion that the yearly damage from manipulation and follow-on effects of malfunctions - automatic computer routines taking over due to so-called hyper-trading, and the resulting distortions in stock indices - reach into the high billions. With a chance of that the unknown, black numbers indeed already range beyond the trillion-barrier. Much secrecy there, wanted by econmic monopolists, banks, and national governments. The game must be protected, no matter how much rigged it already is.
I kno that high tech gadgets and all that stuff is fascinating, makes you curious, and attracted, I tick like that myself. But still - be careful what you wish for, guys. And learn to say No more often.