Re: IoT security, was Krebs on Security booted off Akamai network

[Mel Beckman <mel () beckman org>]

You might as well wish for fingerprint readers. It's not going to happen, and thus can't be remedied. But there are 
already acceptable COTS solutions that need no special hardware.  IoT vendors simply have to use them. 

 -mel beckman

> On Oct 9, 2016, at 1:20 PM, "bzs () TheWorld com" <bzs () TheWorld com> wrote:
>
>
> > On October 9, 2016 at 20:07 mel () beckman org (Mel Beckman) wrote:
> > Barry,
> >
> > The problem isn't authentication during initial installation, since that can be done using SSL and a web login to 
> > the cloud service. The problem is that vendors aren't even using minimal security protections, such as SSL, and then 
> > leaving devices open to inbound connections, which is bad even behind a firewall (because viruses typically scan 
> > LANs for these vulnerable devices). These are the devices exploited by hackers to become DDoS attack vectors.
>
> It helps solve the bad (including manufacturer's default) password
> problem which was one of the attack vectors.
>
> The proposal only forces this to be used during initial installation
> and configuration (and any reconfig) arguing that it so lowers the
> threshold, just swipe a magstripe, there's really no excuse. And
> eliminates the owner choosing a password for the device, bad or
> otherwise.
>
> But, again, alas no swipe hardware. Big historical error I think but
> rectifying is feasible.
>
> -- 
>        -Barry Shein
>
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