The Internet of Things (IOT) Should Not Include your Sex Toys

[drmike]

So this Internet of Things (iOT) is pretty creepy.  I remember seeing fridges with internet connectivity many years ago and I was MEH!  that's idiotic about that then, and even moreso today.


With the constant screen time most of society already has, who needs more e-garbage to chatter on the net, pollute the environment with more RF noise, further cell damage to you, etc...?  Not me.


This latest hype niche is remote controlled sex toys.  Yes, they even have mobile apps to go with this stuff.  Like cameras many have found wide open (long after we all found access points wide open) comes this latest intimate home zone insanity, the internet connected sex toys.


Now yeah, it's strange and I can see utility as well as dysfunction of this.  Quite the perv niche and we can't imagine where they are going to take this.


Now when someone goes poking at your e-vibe device, they might indeed get root.


How to hack a sex toy: tech firms warn public on growing cyber-risks



It's not just computers and mobile phones that are vulnerable to cyber attack, according to software firm Trend Micro. As more devices are hooked up to the Internet, it could be anything from medical equipment to industrial machinery - and even sex toys.


To illustrate the point, Trend Micro spokesman Udo Schneider surprised journalists at a news conference this week by placing a large, neon-pink vibrator on the desk in front of him and then bringing it to life by typing out a few lines of code on his laptop.


While the stunt provoked sheepish giggles, the message was sobering. As the number of smart, interactive devices connected to the Internet explodes, concern is mounting about insufficient safeguards and a lack of consumer and employee awareness.


source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-cyber-idUSKCN0WH1YU?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews



Some manufacturers of this insecure and likely to be exploited gear (who is first to get 0wned?):

http://we-vibe.com


http://www.ohmibod.com


http://www.lovense.com


https://www.vibease.com

 

[DomainBop]

Sex toys with Internet connectivity that can be controlled remotely have been around for at least 11 years when the first "net-controlled rumpy-pumpy" appeared.


Data security and privacy issues are going to be a nightmare with all IOT products which will be  good for governments, good for personal information harvesters like [fill in name of large company] but bad for the average person.


From a 2013 FTC staff report on IOT

As to risks, participants noted that the IoT presents a variety of potential security risks 
that could be exploited to harm consumers by:


 (1) enabling unauthorized access and misuse of 
personal information; (2) facilitating attacks on other systems; and (3) creating risks to personal 
safety.


Participants also noted that privacy risks may flow from the collection of personal 
information, habits, locations, and physical conditions over time. In particular, some panelists 
noted that companies might use this data to make credit, insurance, and employment decisions.
 
Others noted that perceived risks to privacy and security, even if not realized, could undermine 
the consumer confidence necessary for the technologies to meet their full potential, and may 
result in less widespread adoption. 

 

[HN-Matt]

so tl;dr a dull waiting game until the hardware backdoors planted in all of the IoT monitoring devices are exploited in order to drive popcorn sales in the #SecurityTheatreLeisureClass markets?

EDIT: Some comedy options from ~2.5 years ago: http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-1310/msg00067.html