In-brief: a flaw in Samsung’s Smartcam product could allow remote attackers to take control of the devices. The news comes two years after Samsung took steps to patch other flaws in its Internet connected cameras.
DEFCON
Podcast: Black Hat, DEF CON and building Secure Devices
In-brief: Paul Roberts talks with Marc Blackmer of Cisco Systems about the recent Black Hat and DEF CON conferences, as well as a proposal Cisco is working on a for a new, open standard for connecting use policies to intelligent devices.
Security of seismic sensor grid probed – BBC News
The BBC reports that thousands of seismic sensors monitoring geological activity are vulnerable to manipulation by way of cyber attack, though the seismic gear maker disputes the researchers’ findings. The poor security controls around the way the sensors transmit data were detailed in a presentation at the Def Con hacker convention. Researchers found ways to fool and overload sensors so monitoring systems would get wildly inaccurate readings.The findings have been reported to the US computer emergency organisation (sp) that oversees national infrastructure. Nanometrics, the company that makes the sensor system that was probed disputed the researchers’ findings. Source: Security of seismic sensor grid probed – BBC News
DARPA Grand Challenge Spurs Automation, AI to Secure Internet of Things
In-brief: A hacker capture the flag tournament will take place without any human intervention. It’s the final competition in DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge, a contest to spur developments in automation and artificial intelligence to solve cyber security problems.
Gee Whiz! Connected Hotel Room Controls Vulnerable to Hacking
In-brief: security researcher Matthew Garrett of the firm COREOS found that software-based lighting controls in his London hotel room, which had replaced mechanical light switches, could be easily hacked, giving him the ability to control lighting in any room in the facility.
