sensor Archives

sensor

Security Ledger Talks Car Hacking on NPR’s AirTalk

December 9, 2014 Paul Roberts

Just a note to our readers that you can listen to a great conversation on hacking automobiles on Airtalk, a National Public Radio call-in talk show that airs on WPCC, Pasadena, California. Interestingly: the other expert guest on the show was none other than Chris Valasek of IOActive, one of the most recognized researchers on security vulnerabilities in modern automobiles. [Read more Security Ledger coverage of Chris Valasek’s research here.] Chris and I spoke with host Larry Mantle about the current state of affairs with regard to car hacking: what is possible (theoretically), what is practical and what are car makers doing about it. Check out our conversation via KPCC’s web site: The next frontier for computer hackers: Your car | AirTalk | 89.3 KPCC.

Automakers Issue Privacy Guidelines For Connected Cars

November 13, 2014 Paul Roberts

A group representing some of the leading foreign automakers who sell in the U.S. released guidelines to protect consumer data collected by in-vehicle technologies and make sure that car owners consent to the collection of everything from geolocation data to biometric identifiers. The group, Global Automakers, represents foreign auto manufacturers and original equipment makers (OEMs). The Privacy Principles document (PDF here) include guidance on issues like transparency, anonymity and security and are intended to set ground rules for the collection and use of driver or owner information by increasingly sensor-rich vehicles. “As modern cars not only share the road but will in the not too distant future communicate with one another, vigilance over the privacy of our customers and the security of vehicle systems is an imperative,” said Global Automakers President and CEO John Bozzella in a published statement. The Privacy Principles are voluntary are are based on the U.S. Federal Trade […]

The Security of Things: Video Available

October 28, 2014 Paul Roberts

We held our first ever security and Internet of Things event back in May. The Security of Things Forum took place in Cambridge, MA (“Our Fair City”) on May 7 and brought together about 100 thought leaders and entrepreneurs for a day of discussion and debate about how best to prepare for the explosion of connected devices in the enterprise, the home, the public sector and public spaces. Since then we’ve made a couple of these sessions public: the keynote presentation by In-Q-Tel CISO Dan Geer, and a panel on enterprise risk and IoT, chaired by INEX Advisors’ founder Chris Rezendes. Attendees have had access to all the sessions, as well. But now we’re throwing the doors open to the public and making all the conference sessions available to the public, as well as some 1:1 interviews with our speakers. We invite you all to head on over and check […]

Essentials for Visibility-Driven Security

October 27, 2014 Scott Harrell

Visibility is surprisingly tricky. The security industry offers many disparate tools to provide customers “visibility” into what is happening on their networks. Among them are tools that track what applications are on the network, tools for enumerating and tracking software vulnerabilities, tools for determining when sensitive data has left a network, tools that indicate when attacks are underway and tools that identify and analyze network data flows – to name just a few. Of course, layered on top of all this “visibility” are further systems that correlate and analyze what the mission-specific tools are seeing. Promises of a “single pane of glass” aside, the result is often a mishmash of data and events that require skilled security practitioners to analyze and interpret. The mishmash, in turn, leads to errors in analysis and prioritization. Albert Einstein famously said “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” So it is in the information security industry, where a common refrain is “you can’t protect […]

Congress To Probe the Internet of Things?

October 25, 2014 Paul Roberts

A bipartisan contingent of senators from the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has requested a hearing on the topic of the Internet of Things before the end of the year, according to published reports. Lawmakers Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote to the committee chairman, Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and ranking member,John Thune (R-S.D.), requesting “a general oversight and information-gathering hearing” on the IoT before the end of 2014, citing concerns about consumer privacy and security, as well as potential government applications of IoT technology. IoT technologies including wearables and connected health products represent an “expanding industry of connected products,” the congressmen and women wrote. “The proliferation of connected products is sparking a number of important policy questions,” the October 20th letter reads. “The number and the scope of these issues demands our prompt attention so we can better understand the technologies and explore how best to preserve America’s global leadership […]