Is 2014 The Year Uncle Sam Takes On Connected Device Security?

The Consumer Electronics Show – or CES- kicked off last week in Las Vegas. In the last decade, CES has become one of the premiere venues for consumer device makers to launch new products and to show off prototypes of technology they hope to introduce to the public.

Home entertainment megafauna dominate the coverage of CES — there was Samsung’s 85-inch LED LCD model with 4K resolution that can transform from flat-screen to curved display. But this year’s show is also a showcase for the next wave of connected devices, including wearable technology, smart appliances and connected vehicles.

All these new platforms raise important questions about security, privacy and reliability. I sat down to talk about some of those issues with Mark Stanislav, the lead security evangelist at the firm Duo Security. Mark is a frequent contributor to The Security Ledger who last joined us to provide an end of year wrap up on the events of 2013.

Mark says that many of the devices displayed at CES are likely to be scrutinized for security in the same way that iPhones have spawned a culture of ‘jailbreaking.’ “I think we’ll see each of these devices become just as interesting to watch as platforms like iPhones,” he said.

Stanislav said the speed of innovation and change in the electronics industry may well prompt government action to address privacy and safety concerns. “I think the number of consumer devices we’ve seen that are Internet connected but not secure are too many,” Stanislav said.  Rumblings from the Federal Trade Commission and its chairwoman Edith Ramirez suggest that regulators may step in to provide structure to connected device makers.

“It could be a very interesting situation,” Stanislav said.

Check out our conversation using the links below!