3 ms·
> What is the goal of taking over my smart thermostat and turning off the heat? While it might seem an extreme example, in many parts of the world when AC or h
by giobox 9y ago
> What is the goal of taking over my smart thermostat and turning off the heat?
While it might seem an extreme example, in many parts of the world when AC or heat fails, it can be a really big deal, especially for the very young and very old. A great example is the 1995 Chicago heatwave, which killed ~800 people. If IoT thermostats become more widespread and tightly coupled to the actual heating systems, it's not unreasonable to think they could become an attractive target. Even ignoring the incidents of deaths, the inconvenience alone of losing AC or heat can be substantial in many climates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave
Without a source I personally wouldn't feel comfortable assuming that "money or power" alone account for a vast majority of these attacks. I don't think it's an unreasonable hypothesis that some are the result of plain nastiness, stupidity, or doing it simply because they can.
- slg 9y agoHumans aren't frogs in a boiling pot. If an IoT device shuts off the AC or heat, someone will notice before it gets to the level in which it will kill them. That would certainly be an inconvenience but I can't imagine a scenario in which it would be deadly.
- giobox 9y agoI think the evidence of incidents of old people dying when AC/heat fails is difficult to ignore, but to each their own. As I said, the threat is greatest to the very old and very young, simply because they are far more likely to be in the sorry position of being unable to do anything about the failure. In the case of Chicago, they largely were "frogs in a boiling pot". Heat is one of the largest causes of weather based fatalities in the US. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml Similarly, just google "AC failure Texas" - it's a very real problem in hot climates.
- dragonwriter 9y ago> Humans aren't frogs in a boiling pot. If an IoT device shuts off the AC or heat, someone will notice before it gets to the level in which it will kill them. Just like frogs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog#The_science https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_frog#The_science
- TeMPOraL 9y agoInconvenience can be damaging enough. Just crank up the heat in an office building and watch a company lose man-months of productivity by the hour. Do that on a hospital, and there might actually be loss of life involved.
- bluGill 9y agoOnly if someone is home. I've gone on long vacations before in the middle of winter. There is always the risk I will come home to find something broke and my pipes are frozen. I don't personally know anyone who has had this happen, but it is a real risk. Real enough that the local Home Depot has devices to warn you about this (often dial a specific phone number).