Securing the Internet of Things

Before I started programming, I went to law school and worked at a non-profit for a few years. I enjoyed that work quite a bit, and I still find many legal issues interesting. But, I'm such a nerd, that after studying law all day I would go home and study programming all night, and I gradually fell in love with it. I am never sure if and how my legal training will now play a role in my career. I am frequently reminded that one potential intersection of my previous work and my growing technology interests would be in the security issues that arise with new technology.

I don't know enough about the Internet of Things to make predictions about how fast it will occur. But, I like to keep an eye on it, to see how it evolves. The phrase "Internet of Things" has been attached to various efforts to connect physical devices and household products to the Internet. For example, your flowerpot could text you when they need to be watered. Or, your fridge could maintain an index of how much food you have left and email you to warn if you are running low on milk or eggs, or automatically order more to be delivered to your house.

In addition to these minor conveniences, more dramatic links could be made to order a refill of your medicine, or to warn your doctor if you miss a dose. There is vast potential for gathering data on customer needs and habits, and new industries are growing fast. And this stuff isn't all coming in the future. Some is already here. Tesla, for example, already updates its cars while the customers' cars sit parked in the garage.

Aside from all of this exciting potential, some serious security concerns may arise. Floating more data between our devices may create more opportunities to steal it, hack it, and manipulate it. In one dramatic example, Wired magazine shared how some good-intentioned hackers hacked a jeep, and killed the engine, while it was traveleing down the highway. Such a dramatic scene is still only a hint of what bad-intentioned hackers might do. I want to keep eye on this stuff as the field grows.