The Coming Internet-Of-Things Horror Show

by
in internet on (#1NNSC)
Like many others, Bruce Schneier is sounding the alarm that the Internet of Things security nightmare isn't just about things like poor or non-existent security for thermostats: rather, that "software control" of an ever-widening pool of interconnected devices and systems designed to act without human intervention creates an urgent threat the likes of which we've never seen.

Schneier says, "A recent Princeton survey found 500,000 insecure devices on the internet. That number is about to explode. Autonomy. Increasingly, our computer systems are autonomous. They buy and sell stocks, turn the furnace on and off, regulate electricity flow through the grid, and-in the case of driverless cars-automatically pilot multi-ton vehicles to their destinations. Autonomy is great for all sorts of reasons, but from a security perspective it means that the effects of attacks can take effect immediately, automatically, and ubiquitously."

Re: Looked into connected thermostat... (Score: 1)

by bryan@pipedot.org on 2016-07-28 16:40 (#1NS6C)

As for thermostat settings, I prefer the simplest option: a single fixed temperature that the system maintains +/- a degree or two.

The house itself should be efficient and have enough thermal mass to prevent large temperature fluctuations throughout the day anyway. If you feel the need to "adjust" the heat/cooling at different times of the day, perhaps you should invest in more insulation or higher efficiency windows instead of a fancy internet connected thermostat.
Post Comment
Subject
Comment
Captcha
Five, fifty nine, forty seven or 69: which of these is the largest?