Former Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair cautioned against the proliferation of Internet of Things devices on May 4, noting that it allows easy access to cameras or microphones. Speaking at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security’s annual strategic conference, Blair noted that connected devices open up more “attack paths” in both private homes and regional services.
Hackers could find ways to access a public power grid by going through an unsecured smart home thermostat, for example. Blair encouraged both companies and individuals to make sure that security is not just an “afterthought” in the relatively early days of the Internet of Things. Operating on the frontier means that hackers haven’t found out how to efficiently hack IoT devices faster than developers can counter them, but cybercrime and national security issues are of critical importance.
He asserted that “the ‘Internet of Things’ will hurt [cyber security professionals] more than help us. It will make our jobs more difficult.”
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas also spoke at the conference, discussing the interaction between cyber security and traditional law enforcement. Although the two may work together in particular cases, they work in very different ways: traditional law enforcement operates in a certain jurisdiction and seeks to bring individuals into the justice system, while cybercrime deals less with individuals and shares more information with related agencies.
This cooperation includes the way private cyber security companies are already working with government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration.
