Europol predicts serious crimes caused by the Internet of Things (IoT)2014-10-06 09:26 by DanielaTags: Europol, IoT, security
The European Police agency Europol reports that that the World's first recorded 'cyber murder' is very likely to happen before the end of the year. This could be a healthcare device like pacemaker or insulin injectors, or a smart device like car or a home appliance that uses internet to transfer data among connected devices. The report cites previous findings from US security firm IID and even suggests a variety of ways in which this could happen. "The once optimistic concept of the 'Internet of Things,' where virtually everything electronic is conveniently connected to the internet will reveal its dark side," the company stated. "Malicious hackers will have the power to provoke chaos inside your home, burning your house down by hacking your oven to flood your house with gas and ignite it, or remotely turning off your security system to allow burglars inside." Officers at Europol also suggest criminals can use the web to carry out new forms of extortion and blackmail, such as locking people out of their homes or cars before payment of a ransom. While the first internet murder is yet to happen, "death by internet" is already a reality from online extortion/blackmail that has led to suicide, according to Rod Rasmussen, the president of IID. Many major technology firms are getting involved in the IoT as the world gets more and more connected, although security does remain a big concern. According to recent research from Cisco, the number of Internet-connected devices will rise to around 50 billion by 2020, a huge increase from the 13 billion in 2013. Read more -here-
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