Hopefully it will lead to some regulation of these devices. That's a dirty word to many, but the fact is that Internet-connected devices are part of a global co

Hopefully it will lead to some regulation of these devices. That's a dirty word to many, but the fact is that Internet-connected devices are part of a global community, and need to behave safely, and being open to hijacking by criminals is not safe. The proposal I like best is that the industry should get out in front of this, and build a self-regulator organization now which issues recommendations and certifications of Internet-connected products. Then governments could simply require compliance with the industry norms, established and vetted by the industry, and we can keep political institutions out of micromanaging the electronics industry. The model to follow here is Underwriters Laboratory, which sets standards and grants certifications for electrical and industrial supplies and equipment. Then, for example, city governments can just specify that everyone installing, say, outdoor lighting at their home must purchase lights and outlets rated for wet outdoor usage by the UL.