Smart Meters, appliances, technology and the Internet of Things

Threats to Mobile Devices and the IoT Will Grow in 2017

Cyberattacks on the Internet of Things Are Forthcoming. Intel predicts the IoT will reach 1.8 billion devices by 2019 and furthermore believes security threats to these devices will be growing quickly.
University researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University and Stanford University are already using IoT for research. “Our first best practice is to make sure we aren’t putting IoT devices into our environment with their default passwords,” says Pitt. “Hackers can easily take advantage of those vulnerabilities.” SNIP

Smart Meters and the Internet of Things (IoT)

Here is a very interesting posting on the Smart Grid Awareness web site. Recommended!

We’re Being “Hunted” by Smart Meters and the Internet of Things
Posted on January 13, 2017 by SkyVision Solutions

Excerpt

In an age when people’s lives are constantly tracked, recorded, analyzed, and shared by private parties, the doctrine holding that “information knowingly exposed to private parties is unprotected by the Fourth Amendment,” now threatens to swallow whole the privacy guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.

The “Internet of Things” refers to the prospect that nearly everything that can be connected to the Internet will be in the near future. According to one study, by the year 2020, more than 30 billion devices could be wirelessly connected to the Internet. Everything from televisions to refrigerators to electricity meters will be capable of recording data and transferring that data to third parties, with or without a user’s knowledge or consent. SNIP

The smart grid, smart meters, and the risk of cyber attacks

As Australia hurriedly legislates to make the smart grid an essential part of the nation’s energy future, promoted by a large number of corporate vested interests, little or no concern is being given to a number of risks inherent in what is essentially a new and inadequately tested technology. I have primarily been writing about the health risks which, to date, absolutely no research has been done to quantify that risk. Although it has been claimed that no research is necessary because the exposure levels from smart meters are far below the standard limits, in reality it is because this type of research is seen as a “Pandora’s Box” for a rapid global roll-out of the technology.

However, all that aside, another emerging risk not yet adequately addressed is the overall smart grid’s exposure to cyber attacks through cloud data storage and smart meters, as the following report examines.

Abstract
Cities around the world are becoming increasingly smart, which creates huge attack surfaces for potential cyber attacks. In this paper, IOActive Labs CTO Cesar Cerrudo provides an overview of current cyber security problems affecting cities as well real threats and possible cyber attacks that could have a huge impact on cities. Cities must take defensive steps now, and Cesar offers recommendations to help them get started.

Excerpt
Smart Grid Energy is the life line of a city; without energy there is no smart city. Last year, researchers Alberto Garcia Illera and Javier Vazquez Vidal at Black Hat Europe demonstrated it was possible to black out big city areas by manipulating smart meters exploiting encryption problems in Power-line Communication (PLC) technologies.

This is not new; years ago Mike Davis of IOActive created the first proof-of-concept worm for the smart grid. Attacks on a smart grid could be devastating, causing millions of dollars in losses and even loss of life. SNIP

The hidden energy cost of smart homes

From theconversation.com:

Excerpt

Light globes that change colour with the tap of an app, coffee machines you can talk to, and ovens that know exactly how long to cook your food: our homes are getting smart. These devices, just a few examples of what is known as “the internet of things” (or IOT), have been called the “next great disruptor” and “the second digital revolution”.

One of the great hopes of this revolution is that it will help households save energy. Sensors can turn off lights and appliances when not in use, or turn the heating down when people go to bed. Smartphone apps can provide households with more insight into the energy use of their appliances.

While estimates vary widely, industry proponents suggest that emerging connected home technologies could help households reduce their energy bills by 10-25%. Such claims are largely speculative given the absence of robust “before and after” research.

Social research from Australia and the UK is revealing ways in which IOT might also increase energy demand. We have identified three “hidden” energy impacts which are rarely considered in IOT research or energy-saving predictions. SNIP