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Bullshit. What makes 'IoT' any different from an ordinary network-connected computer? You're either saying "it's time to regulate networked computing devices"

Bullshit. What makes 'IoT' any different from an ordinary network-connected computer? You're either saying "it's time to regulate networked computing devices" or, "I want to carve out an easygoing regulation-free niche for MY product[s] to artificially excel in." I try not to be needleslly pessimistic, but this article has no definition of 'IoT' beyond 'networked computer with sensor', so three guesses as to which one it is.

MBCook 9y ago
I can easily update my Mac or my Windows PC. I also know that Apple and MS will be around for a while. How do I update my lightbulb? Who will make updates for? Maybe Phillips will for their product but what about smaller OEMs? What if the company quickly goes out of business like Juicero? Depending on what you buy and where you buy it do people even know who made it? Would you even know how to check for updates (assuming they exist)?
- leggomylibro 9y ago
  You can, but you very well might not. And your desktop computer is a far, far more valuable target in terms of computing power and network connectivity. Should we be regulating that device as protection against your choosing or forgetting to not follow best practices?
  - MBCook 9y ago
    > And your desktop computer is a far, far more valuable target in terms of computing power and network connectivity. It’s also FAR more secure. IoT devices are often easy to hack. And while they may not have much horsepower they have a network connection. You won’t mine many Bitcoins but it doesn’t take a lot power to be part of a DDoS. And I have one computer, one tablet, one phone. I may have 5 smart lightbulbs, a DVR, a security camera or two, a indoor/outdoor thermometer....
    - leggomylibro 9y ago
      Also a good point, but how would you propose that we measure 'security'? Is an Android phone that hasn't received a carrier update in 8 months "secure"? How about a home server running an ancient distro which long since stopped receiving package updates? The phone is probably a bigger concern at scale, but I have seen plenty of families with dusty "photo storage/backup" boxes that their family's resident IT person set up and networked when they were in high school.
veidr 9y ago
> What makes 'IoT' any different from an ordinary network-connected computer? Basically the same things that make, say, 'rats' different from an ordinary human being: specialization, capabilities, defenses, and deployment density. A different response might be needed to deal with millions of rats moving into your town compared to what worked when 15,000 juggalos congregated for the ICP music festival. They're both 'mammals', true; they both sleep and eat cheese. But they still might necessitate different strategies to manage or cope with them. (Having said that, I am still deeply skeptical of governmental regulation as a solution. I think Schneier is right about the scope of the problem, and that it's a perfect example of the class of problem that markets can't fix. Although trying to hold device makers liable might help somewhat, I'm afraid that the problem is like global warming — in theory, there are various solutions that might devise, but in practice human societies, even the minority of them that might have their shit sufficiently together to address the problem on their own, still aren't capable of the level of coordination required, so what we really need to do is "get ready to deal with it, because there's no way to stop it".)

MBCook 9y ago

I can easily update my Mac or my Windows PC. I also know that Apple and MS will be around for a while. How do I update my lightbulb? Who will make updates for? Maybe Phillips will for their product but what about smaller OEMs? What if the company quickly goes out of business like Juicero? Depending on what you buy and where you buy it do people even know who made it? Would you even know how to check for updates (assuming they exist)?

leggomylibro 9y ago
You can, but you very well might not. And your desktop computer is a far, far more valuable target in terms of computing power and network connectivity. Should we be regulating that device as protection against your choosing or forgetting to not follow best practices?
- MBCook 9y ago
  > And your desktop computer is a far, far more valuable target in terms of computing power and network connectivity. It’s also FAR more secure. IoT devices are often easy to hack. And while they may not have much horsepower they have a network connection. You won’t mine many Bitcoins but it doesn’t take a lot power to be part of a DDoS. And I have one computer, one tablet, one phone. I may have 5 smart lightbulbs, a DVR, a security camera or two, a indoor/outdoor thermometer....
  - leggomylibro 9y ago
    Also a good point, but how would you propose that we measure 'security'? Is an Android phone that hasn't received a carrier update in 8 months "secure"? How about a home server running an ancient distro which long since stopped receiving package updates? The phone is probably a bigger concern at scale, but I have seen plenty of families with dusty "photo storage/backup" boxes that their family's resident IT person set up and networked when they were in high school.

veidr 9y ago

> What makes 'IoT' any different from an ordinary network-connected computer? Basically the same things that make, say, 'rats' different from an ordinary human being: specialization, capabilities, defenses, and deployment density. A different response might be needed to deal with millions of rats moving into your town compared to what worked when 15,000 juggalos congregated for the ICP music festival. They're both 'mammals', true; they both sleep and eat cheese. But they still might necessitate different strategies to manage or cope with them. (Having said that, I am still deeply skeptical of governmental regulation as a solution. I think Schneier is right about the scope of the problem, and that it's a perfect example of the class of problem that markets can't fix. Although trying to hold device makers liable might help somewhat, I'm afraid that the problem is like global warming — in theory, there are various solutions that might devise, but in practice human societies, even the minority of them that might have their shit sufficiently together to address the problem on their own, still aren't capable of the level of coordination required, so what we really need to do is "get ready to deal with it, because there's no way to stop it".)