The IoT or Internet of Things

Things being the operative word, things that are usually not secured or controlled well. These are things that help us with the Internet but are often not accessed or utilized by humans, they sit once installed and do their work while we spend our time on our computers doing stuff that travels through these things. 

Note that the source code that powers the “Internet of Things” (IoT) botnet responsible for launching the historically large distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against a variety of businesses and others. 

Here is a list, short or terse, that will allow you to fully understand what the IoT’s are:

ACTi IP Camera, ANKO Products DVR’s, Dreambox TV receiver, HiSilicon IP Camera’s, Panasonic Printer, Various Routers, Xerox printers, or in other words, “The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors and connectivity to enable it to achieve greater value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer, operator and/or other connected devices.”

Our drive to become connected requires a certain speed of manufacturer and along with even speedier research and development the products must by this nature reach the Internet and us as fast as inhumanly possible leaving humans in the lurch and under their control, a control that comes from the manufacturers, businesses, and etc., that drive the data mining and data broker business and drives other ancillary businesses and all outside our control and with little or no security other than theirs to protect them while leaving us, the customer and humans, out in the wild exposed to predatory predators.

It is becoming so pervasive and intrusive that soon criminal activity will migrate from the real world and into the virtual one because predatorial-criminals will no longer need to expose themselves to grave harm, death or other repercussions because finding them, arresting them and the prosecuting them due to technological wonder they are obscured from those seeking to find and arrest. 

The IoT is connected to you, your house, your devices like DVD’s and Televisions; also all the new devices like frigs, microwaves and all other persona accessories will be connected. Your medical and medicinal information is connected. Your personal activity connected, monitored and data-mined by the data-brokerages; remember that when your home is connected there is always the ability of “Someone watching you”; all sorts of devices connected to your phone that control things like your money, your identity, and things like heating, ovens, automobiles and even your plants - all connected and exposed as a part of the IoT, the Internet of Things. 

Remember how in the movies, like Tom Cruise’ in “Minority Report” where his every move was trackable resulting in so-called eye surgery to fool the IoT. Remember a more recent movie with Pierce Brosnan in “I.T.” where a nefarious emotionally disturbed employee used all his connectivity, through installed IoT, to wreak havoc on Mr. Brosnoa’s character Mike Regan. We used to think watching such “Science Fiction” that this would be both cool and horrible and now with today’s tech and the IoT, it is happening today and we are oblivious simply because our nature, triggered by certain influence manipulation professionals, has us feeling we need, need, need all this before anyone else like “The neighbors, the Jones” syndrome.

So, go ahead, jump on out there, become the person everyone envies who has everything, create that internet technological status but remember, there are nefarious predators out there that will use such as the IoT to attack you, take everything you have and leave you wondering and looking guilty as hell to everyone else who was previously envious of your status. 

Good Luck out There or as an old show would say when the police officers were headed toward the street, “Be careful out there!”

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Security-n-Convenience

In the world of security often those who are unable to see the criticality of such security tend to lean heavily toward convenience over security. Security takes effort and it often places extra requirements when working with sensitive information and most don’t want to take that time or effort to achieve that goal so they tend to dismiss, avoid and circumvent such security measures for extra convenience when performing duties involved in daily work. 

Convenience is a killer of security, the bottom line for profit is also a killer for security and security generally is ignored because it reduces profits rather than increase profit. It isn’t until security is compromised and data/information, etc., is stolen that suddenly the bottom line is adversely effected then causing those in positions of influence to suddenly scream about ‘where is the security’?

Even in the dark underworld of the Internet where security is taken seriously and from the start there is no true secure system as shown from a recent article where bit-coin services were hacked and robbed with not one iota of a chance those who had those coins can be redeemed. The only true security is to unplug from the Internet and because of the invasiveness of inter-connectedness that is no longer a guarantee. 

The only way I can see that security can even achieve a modicum of protection is by those in charge making security the highest priority in the creation, development and coding of all Enterprise Applications, etc. It is also necessary to provide harsh repercussions when the code is compromised even at the lowest levels. Gratification, convenience and profit must take a back seat to security for if not security breaches of the future will be so costly that no one can make a decent profit except those who are on the receiving end of such predatory thievery. 

For instance, even apps for the phone or that ‘rented cloud based software program’ we use daily, if you are compromised while using it the coders who created it must be harshly fined by their parent company and the parent company must be harshly fined at levels commensurate to their levels of profit - the real profit and not the obvious presented profits. Enforcement shall be harsh enough where actual jail time is possible starting at the highest levels of said parent company. 

Failure to provide adequate security is just plain stupid and irresponsible and that irresponsibility and stupidity shall be harshly dealt with from the highest levels on down to the actual coders. Everyone at every level shall “OWN” the security of their work, write out in long hand their responsibilities and then frame, hang in a position to read daily and then live the acceptance in all they do - security is foremost in their minds and the first thing they work on at the beginning of every days work. This starts with the CIO/CFO and trickles down to the fledgling coder in every software and associated company. 

The actual hand writing of the contact of promise to security shall be televised so that every customer or potential customer can bear witness then the hand written personal contracts are to be stored in original form electronically and displayed prominently on the company web sites and other such ‘company face’ and used to remind the individual they own security in all they do for they control the screens, control the code and control the Internet for good and evil. 

Only when such responsibility and ownership is created, assumed and witnessed can security become secure through diligence, effort and ownership of every person, persons and leadership. Until that is achieved such security breaches as at the OPM recently addressed at Kreb’s on Security can such compromises be, at a minimum, mitigated and prevented. 

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Hyper-mobility and more

In a recent finding, the below pdf link gives you the excerpt, I came across the following while researching human pattern recognition. You may find this … enlightening!

http://www.lifescapes.org/Papers/ACE%20Chapter%2012%20120930.pdf

Information becomes

“Information becomes increasingly accessible via the internet, so, too, does misinformation. Conspiracy theories and pseudoscience, which might otherwise be relegated to fringe publications, permeate Facebook and Twitter feeds. But connectivity can also provide quicker explanations – if NORAD had email in 1967, the "solar scare" probably would have been over before it began.” - Joseph Dussault

It’s a Hassle, It’s a pain and it Plain Old Sucks

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

But it is the way of our modern world, you have to take responsibility for your own financial security. DO NOT RELY on others to safeguard your financial stability and security. Yes, use the services but don’t just join up and then forget about it because in the end it will be your ability to remain aware of your security status and it will be your ability to remain aware that will stop the attack long before the others can and will do it for you. 

I use security software but I also know that the software security driven safeguard models are just like all coded models, they are full of holes and glitches and other points in the code that any good hacker can exploit. That includes all those services who rely almost solely on the coded programs to run their security businesses. Again, not saying don’t use them but am saying, “Make it your mission in life to keep tabs on all your financial sources, banks, cards, and other financial stuff that are exposed to the Internet and to those coders who know the flaws and understand that the code is coded by humans and humans are flawed. 

Yes, the world today is controlled by the code and the coders but remember that there are good coders and bad coders and nefarious coders out there. Remember, one major operating system always uses the selling point of how secure their next O/S is until about an hour after its release that nefarious coders communicate and broadcast the flaws that allow security breaches.

So, yes it is a hassle, it is a royal pain in the arse and it does just plain old sucks but if you want to secure your financial stability then take on the responsibility by learning how it is done, how you can protect yourself and then monitor, monitor and yes once again - monitor all your finances, etc. 

Credit Cards: As an example I use a type of statement ledger to track every credit card expense as I make the change and when my statement arrives I match them all up and ANY anomaly I call the credit card company to get feedback on who, what, when, where and how a charge is placed on my account. There are many things you can do above and beyond those service companies who preach how they will go the distance for you and remember that the distance they go will only go as far as their bottom line - they are a business and making/keeping their money is their goal. 

I advocate layered security models. As a retired physical security manager/specialist I can tell you that layered security models work best. Start with the effort you put into your personal eSecurity posture both on and off the Internet. Then find those security models you can add on the enhance our overall security posture both on and off the Internet. Then monitor, monitor, monitor, monitor, and monitor some more. The faster you discover the security breaches the faster you can stop the flow out of your pockets and the faster you get your financial security and stability back. 

Having the ability to lay blame on others when your money disappears is fine on an emotional egoistic level but it won’t stop and put back the money you are bleeding out while hoping, praying and assuming that others will get it all back right for you. 

p.s. Keeping informed is one way to remain aware and as an example I recommend Kreb’s on Security, you can go to his site HERE (http://krebsonsecurity.com), because he has consistently provided me, personally as a daily reader of his blog, information I have implemented to safeguard my financial world. Just remember, it is not the only thing and layer your education sources as well to get a more rounded and complete picture of the danger out there. 

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Don't let your finances get caught in the pull of that black hole!

DMARC It

Honestly, if your email service is not on the DMARC wagon maybe you should find one that is AND if you are a business then whoa, what the ? If you are a user like I am and concerned about things email then at least go to the two sites below and get a better understanding of how this can help. 

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/07/trump-dnc-rnc-flunk-email-security-test/#more-35619

https://dmarc.org

The Dark Web - the darker side

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

Since criminals also make use of the benefits of secrecy to prey on us in the regular WWW it seemed apropos to say that when hit by those predators it means pretty much that our money, our economic status as well as wealth, is caught up in a dark-web ‘black hole.” Nothing escapes once the gravitational pull of that black hole latches on to you and yet most of us surfing the White Web tend to remain ignorant to the dangers luring below the surface, that division between the White and Dark Webs because the dark side has the skills and abilities to reach up through that surface that hides, latch on to you and pull you toward its black hole where the black, the darkness, will consume and absorb you and your life as if you never existed.

The reason I use this analogy is because our protectors and enforcers of the legal and rightness of our way of life are ill equipped, lack appropriate knowledge and understanding and remain with their heads hidden in the sand to the dangers of such predatory efforts hidden and protected by the very same things that should be here in the White Web protecting us against them.

Beware the Ghost in the Code!

Now, that may sound like I advocate a focus on “others” protecting us and please don’t take this personally but I am not, they should be an intricate part of a layered security of the White Web where the first line of many levels should be YOU, the USER and the actions YOU TAKE when using computers and when surfing the Web. 

Here are a few links to what I consider the best security blog on computers and the iNfrastructure of the electronic age, the iRevolution. Kreb on Security:

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/07/the-value-of-a-hacked-company/

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/06/the-value-of-a-hacked-email-account/

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/10/the-scrap-value-of-a-hacked-pc-revisited/

If you find his articles above of interest consider following his blog, KrebsonSecurity, on a daily basis. As an IT expert of over twenty years I find his information refreshing, current, beneficial and critical to my personal online and computer safety and security.  

Hat tip to KrebsonSecurity as the inspiration for this post.