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I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

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Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#81

Post by codingdave »

thoughtsimple wrote: post #33

I'm amused by the use of Modbus. I worked on Modbus networking back in the 1980's at Modicon (a company that disappeared long ago that created the "standard"). Using a protocol invented before the internet to control devices on a semi-public network is insane. The original Modbus was designed to communicate with factory devices controlled by logic controllers over serial and eventually over a custom token ring networ…

Same here - I used modbus only a few years ago, as it worked well for reading analog signals from hydroelectric turbine monitors, into a Linux box that converted them to digital for reporting. I cannot imagine actually using it on a modern network.

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#82

Post by theseatoms »

corobo wrote: post #68
elorant wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in-mind that we're talking about always connected devices. Firmware updates could be done remotely without the end user needed to do anything, except perhaps give his approval.

Great my fridge just rebooted for a firmware update and bricked itself now the peas are rapidly defrosting and I am in a panic. Edit: Shoutout to Internet of Shit https://twitter.com/internetofshit

Add a physical switch for firmware updates, on an opt-in basis.

How does Tesla implement updates?

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#83

Post by logfromblammo »

patcheudor wrote: post #57

"Jesus Molina talked about doing this kind of thing a couple of years ago, so it's not some kind of one-off - instead, hotels are happily deploying systems with no meaningful security, and the outcome of sending a constant stream of "Set room lights to full" and "Open curtain" commands at 3AM seems fairly predictable." Which takes us to this: "Any sufficiently advanced technology controlled by a miscreant is indistin…

I can't wait until Random Q. Hacker can flood the lobby with blood from the elevators.

And if you wonder why the blood reservoir has to be connected to both the elevator shafts and to the Internet, I ask you this: who would want a dumb blood reservoir in their hotel? I mean, obviously you have to have one, but wouldn't you rather be able to query tank levels from your phone and automatically order refills online? Nobody wants to be the unlucky employee that has to go up there with a dipstick at midnight during a thunderstorm, right?

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#84

Post by JustSomeNobody »

I don't see what this gains the hotel. You get an increase in complaints/request about not being able to turn on/off lights, etc. Standard light switches are dirt cheap and last years and everyone from age 2 up knows how to use them.

Is this solely to look "fancy"? If so, then at least get the tech right otherwise you look incompetent.

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#85

Post by ovi256 »

amelius wrote: post #63
dcexqm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Under pressure in an interview, yesterday, I found myself saying "'The Internet of Things' is short for 'The Internet of Things you don't need, sending surveillance data you don't want, to people you don't know.'"

> to people you don't know What is worse, your data being sent to people you know or to people you don't know ?

That's a puzzle question worthy of a board of ethics interview.

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#86

Post by throw918319 »

binarymax wrote: post #3

I feel like I'm missing out on a huge bulk of money simply because when I have ideas of "Internet of Things", I cant get over the security obstacles and cancel the ideas. If only I just didn't care (or didnt know) and just implemented whatever the heck brought in money from oblivious customers.

Yep, you have to lose all shame to be successful. See also the subthread about MIFARE cards in the "towel with RFID" submission.

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#87

Post by tekromancr »

nickysielicki wrote: post #53

I feel like the only thing that can fix this type of mentality is a line of products targeted towards annoying nerdy 13 year old boys-- the type of boy that a lot of us were. We need to make it easy for them to abuse security lapses in IoT products. When I was in middle school, I brought a universal remote to class and turned on the television set. Yeah, I know, I was a badass. But these kids will do much more. The p…

I like that idea! A 21st century version of: https://41.media.tumblr.com/b56a0e413ba7869ffc4a9ec99777f132...

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#88

Post by tezza »

Isn't this just a modern day equivalent of Phone Phreaking ?

There used to be party lines in villages where the whole village could listen in to anyone's phone call.

Never mind the operator could also have a sticky beak.

Now if they can change your sound system to play Kanye West... that truly is a problem worth worrying about.

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#89

Post by rihegher »

binarymax wrote: post #3

I feel like I'm missing out on a huge bulk of money simply because when I have ideas of "Internet of Things", I cant get over the security obstacles and cancel the ideas. If only I just didn't care (or didnt know) and just implemented whatever the heck brought in money from oblivious customers.

mandatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IG3zqvUqJY

Re: I stayed in a hotel with Android lightswitches and it was as bad as you'd think

#90

Post by jon-wood »

corobo wrote: post #68
elorant wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep in-mind that we're talking about always connected devices. Firmware updates could be done remotely without the end user needed to do anything, except perhaps give his approval.

Great my fridge just rebooted for a firmware update and bricked itself now the peas are rapidly defrosting and I am in a panic. Edit: Shoutout to Internet of Shit https://twitter.com/internetofshit

If you connected fridge can brick itself in such a way that it stops refrigerating things then it wasn't worth buying in the first place, especially for things like this where you could end up accidentally poisoning someone the failsafe in case of software failure should be switching to an old school circuit that just keeps things at a fixed temperature.
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