https://www.iotworldtoday.com/wp-content/themes/ioti_child/assets/images/logo/IoTWorldToday-mobile-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
Iot World Today
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
    • Back
    • Roundups
  • Strategy
  • Special Reports
  • Business Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Industry Perspectives
    • Featured Vendors
  • Other Content
    • Back
    • Q&As
    • Case Studies
    • Features
    • How-to
    • Opinion
    • Podcasts
    • Strategic Partners
    • Latest videos
  • More
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Submissions
  • Events
  • newsletter
  • IIoT
  • Cities
  • Energy
  • Homes/Buildings
  • Transportation/Logistics
  • Connected Health Care
  • Retail
  • AI
  • Metaverse
  • Development
  • Security
ioti.com

Security


tardisbuilders.com

The Tardis time machine / spaceship in Dr. Who was disguised as a police box.

Why IoT Security Is Like a Time Machine from Dr. Who

Everyday, there seems to be new headlines warning of IoT security disasters, little of it is really new. Meanwhile, there are relevant security lessons to be gleaned from the classic British science-fiction series.
  • Written by Brian Buntz
  • 19th August 2016

While there are real problems to be addressed with IoT security, much of the proposed solutions seem to be generic, failing to take into account the human factor of hacking and the economic factor, says Derek Kerton, founder of the Kerton Group and founder and chairman of the Telecom Council of Silicon Valley.

The Economics of Hacking

“If nobody cares about hacking your device, that is more important than how good your encryption is,” Kerton says. “Economics dictates security. But it also dictates the cost-benefit analysis for the hacker. If you are doing security merely from an engineering perspective, it is like coming up with the world’s best technology but not having a business plan or a value proposition.”

Of Hacking, Time Machines, and Bike Locks

Instead of giving up on the plans for ambitious technology because of an inherent security risk, Kerton recommends that companies ask: “what is in it for the hacker?” and “how can we make it so that there is less in it for him and make it hard enough for him not to do it.” You don’t want to be the lowest hanging fruit for a hacker.

“This reminds me of the TARDIS time machine and spacecraft in Dr. Who,” Kerton says. “It looks like a normal police box from the outside. But if you knew what it was, you would probably steal it.”

An important trick to avoid getting hacked is to design your application so it doesn't look appealing to a hacker—so it looks more like a police box than a time machine. 

The parallels between hacking and theft is often overlooked. Ultimately, IoT security—or any kind of security—isn’t all that different than, say, locking up a bicycle in a public place. “I don’t have to have the perfect lock for my bike; I just have to lock it up better than the next bicycle. The worse the bicycle is, the better my security is. That’s just economics. If you have a crappy bike with a decent lock, nobody is going to steal it.”

That doesn’t mean companies should aspire to have subpar technologies to bolster their security, but that they should aspire to understand the mindset of a hacker rather than focusing solely on technological solutions.

In the economics of hacking, everything isn’t necessarily about money. Prestige or bragging rights are often a part of hacker’s payback.

To improve your IoT security, try to understand what would drive a hacker to target your technology in the first place.

As Sun Tzu said millennia ago: “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.”

Tags: Article Security Technologies

Related Content


  • Caltech campus
    Robots Could Gain Sense of Touch, With New Artificial Skin
    New design can help businesses determine the presence of hazardous materials, offer greater safety for workers
  • Clearview AI Fined $9.4M Over Facial Data Scraping
    The company was ordered to delete any data it held on U.K. citizens.
  • Microsoft Ramping up Cybersecurity Service Offerings
    Three new managed services will boost the company’s presence in the security space
  • IoT Product Roundup
    IoT Product Roundup: PTC, Nokia, Arm and More
    All the latest Internet of Things products

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your IoT World Today account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest News

  • Microsoft Extends Secured-Core Program to IoT Devices
  • Spot the Robot Dog Helps Police Ahead of Boston’s Fourth of July Celebration
  • Unmanned Robotic Combat Vehicle Being Tested
  • Image shows a Close up of lens on black background
    Carnegie Mellon Researchers Invent System to Find Hidden Cameras

Roundups

View all

IoT Product Roundup: Canonical, InfluxData, Wiliot and More

23rd June 2022

IoT Product Roundup: Cisco, Telit, Draganfly and More

9th June 2022

IoT Deals, Partnerships Roundup: Google, Arm, Senet and More

26th May 2022

White Papers

View all

The Role of Manufacturing Technology in Continuous Improvement Ebook

6th April 2022

IIoT Platform Trends for Manufacturing in 2022

6th April 2022

Latest Videos

View all
Image shows Unilever's Alberto Prado at AI Summit 2022 in London

AI Summit 2022: Unilever’s Alberto Prado

Prado talks about how Unilever is using AI to accelerate the speed of new discoveries and gives them access to more breakthrough innovation

Image Shows John Lewis' Barry Panai at AI Summit London 2022

AI Summit 2022: John Lewis’ Barry Panayi on AI in Retail

Panayi talks about data and AI in retail and how individuals and the technology can work together

E-books

View all

How Remote Access Helps Enterprises Improve IT Service and Employee Satisfaction

12th January 2022

An Integrated Approach to IoT Security

6th November 2020

Webinars

View all

Rethinking the Database in the IoT Era

18th May 2022

Jumpstarting Industrial IoT solutions with an edge data management platform

12th May 2022

AI led Digital Transformation of Manufacturing: Time is NOW

9th December 2021

Special Reports

View all

Omdia’s Smart Home Market Dynamics Report

7th January 2022

Cybersecurity Protection Increasingly Depends on Machine Learning

28th October 2020

IoT Security Best Practices for Industry and Enterprise

20th October 2020

Twitter

IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

🤔 Looking for 3 Strategies to Avoid IoT Key Theft? We’ve got you covered! As tech companies continue to develop an… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

5th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

AI Summit 2022: Unilever’s Alberto Prado dlvr.it/STMpRN https://t.co/1dyLREr8N6

5th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Seoul Robotics Expands 3D Perception Platform across South America dlvr.it/STMhSV https://t.co/a10l3Eb2Kn

5th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Microsoft Extends Secured-Core Program to IoT Devices dlvr.it/STMg4k https://t.co/laBPF5VjC4

5th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Spot the Robot Dog Helps Police Ahead of Boston’s Fourth of July Celebration dlvr.it/STKWjb https://t.co/LdRg7a2xqU

4th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Another 59,000 @Teslas being recalled over a software glitch affecting the vehicle’s Emergency Call safety system… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

4th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

Join us in the premier #tech destination of #Austin this November 2-3 for our next #IoT event. Connect and collabo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

4th July 2022
IoTWorldToday, IoTWorldSeries

SoftBank, May Mobility Team on Autonomous Driving dlvr.it/STJrW0 https://t.co/mOYoBsgs14

4th July 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for IoT World Today newsletters: vertical industry coverage on Tuesdays and horizontal tech coverage on Thursdays.

Special Reports

Our Special Reports take an in-depth look at key topics within the IoT space. Download our latest reports.

Business Resources

Find the latest white papers and other resources from selected vendors.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IoT World Series
  • Channel Futures
  • RISC-V
  • Dark Reading
  • ITPro Today
  • Web Hosting Talk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Login/Register

FOLLOW IoT World Today ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X