CybersecurityInternet of Things: when objects threaten national security
We all know personal devices can be hacked, but a whole country’s security could be at risk too. With the rise of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), and against the backdrop of cyberwarfare, digital surveillance and digital subversion, the risk to national security is increasing. Earlier this year the head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre publicly stated that a major cyber-attack on the country’s essential services was a question of “when, not if.”
We all know personal devices can be hacked, but a whole country’s security could be at risk too. With the rise of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), and against the backdrop of cyberwarfare, digital surveillance and digital subversion, the risk to national security is increasing. Earlier this year the head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre publicly stated that a major cyber-attack on the country’s essential services was a question of “when, not if.”
The IoT comprises of the billions of online objects embedded in our homes, workplaces and cities, that are constantly collecting, analyzing and transmitting data. Some IoT devices, such as personal fitness trackers or smartphones, are carried with us wherever we go. Others we interact with remotely, such as domestic heating controls. Many are invisible, operating silently to modulate traffic flows, industrial control systems, and much more.
IoT devices are not so much things with computers in them, but computers with things attached to them. Because no computer is perfectly secure, that means that neither is your smart fridge or your virtual assistant. Like all things online, these objects form part of massively distributed networks. If someone wanted to hack into these global information networks, IoT devices provide billions of extra entry points.
It is relatively easy to hack an IoT device, as many cheap products do not have adequate security. Even devices with advanced security, such as driverless cars, are vulnerable. This means that IoT technologies are widely regarded as a major cyber-security problem. Pacemakers being hacked, air traffic control systems going down, and all out “cyber-war” are just some worst case scenarios. Vulnerabilities, if exploited, could lead to damage, injury and death.
Cyber-attacks on critical national infrastructure are already a very real threat. In 2015, the Ukrainian power grid was affected by a cyber-attack that left Kiev without electricity for several hours. More recently in 2017, the UK’s NHS was compromised for weeks due to the malicious software (malware) WannaCry.
