[LINK] The Internet of Things & Privacy (Part 1)
stephen at melbpc.org.au
stephen at melbpc.org.au
Sun Jan 19 14:30:26 AEDT 2014
"Connected Tech Raises Privacy Fears"
By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25662006> **(9th Jan)**
In the future, it might not just be your smartphone that leaks personal and
private data, it might be your smart fridge too.
So said experts gathered at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
They debated what happens to privacy and security as the "internet of
things" begins to emerge.
At CES this year, hi-tech firms have released a plethora of formerly dumb
products that can gather and share data about what they and their owners
do.
** Governments will also need to do more to ensure consumers stay in
control of the data gathered about them, said one attendee. **
"The internet of things is having its breakout year and it is this year
that it will become a mainstream ecosystem and set of technologies," said
independent consultant Larry Downes who led a discussion about the topic at
the conference that runs alongside the show.
Smart lighting systems, Skype-connected baby monitors, a Bluetooth enabled
meat thermometer and smart ovens were all unveiled at the Las Vegas show -
suggesting that such devices are about to become commonplace.
"Dealing with the privacy and security aspects of the internet of things is
going to be one of the biggest challenges we have faced in security for a
long time," said Marc Rogers, principal research analyst at mobile security
firm Lookout.
"These technologies will be some of the most intimate we have ever had.
"We are going to be wearing it, installing it throughout our living spaces
and other places where technology has not usually had the opportunity to
go."
Good industry practices that have become standard in other areas should be
useful in helping to develop safe and secure smart appliances, said Mr
Rogers.
Problems were already starting to emerge as the first net-enabled
appliances start to hit the market, said Jeff Hagins, founder of home
automation start-up Smart Things.
Consumers were often not able to dictate what happened with the data that
smart appliances gathered, he said, adding that often this data had the
potential to be sensitive and deeply personal.
"There's a tendency among manufacturers to copy all the data to their own
cloud," said Mr Hagins.
"Consumers are frequently not being given a choice to control or allow
that."
Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen from the US Federal Trade Commission said
governments should not be afraid to act if manufacturers were not living up
to standards of fairness and disclosure demanded from websites and other
hi-tech firms.
"It's crucial that companies offering these products that are part of the
internet of things act to safeguard the privacy of users to avoid giving
the technology a bad name while it is still in its infancy," she said.
Mr Hagins added that as well as consumers needing to be careful about who
they were sharing their data with outside the home, they should also be
aware of the tensions within a family about who gets access to what
systems.
"Should a child be able to hack the home automation system to flash the
lights in their sibling's room during the night?" he asked.
"That's something they'll certainly be capable of doing.
--
Cheers,
Stephen
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