Is drive-by sex toy hacking a wake-up call for Britain’s internet security? | Chi Onwurah

I've repeatedly asked the government to ensure households won't be vulnerable to internet-of-things safety breaches. Will vibrators finally attract its attention?

Hacking tends to bring to mind compromised bank accounts or infiltrated government security systems, not anything as salacious as a dildo. But yesterday, the scientist Ben Goldacre alerted me to the practice of "screwdriving" - short-distance sex-toy hacking.

It might sound far-fetched, but the bluetooth low energy (BLE) networking protocol that "smart" sex toys often use can be compromised relatively easily, as demonstrated by security consultant Alex Lomas, who wandered the streets of Berlin taking control of Lovense Hush buttplugs.

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