Bug Detection May Protect IoT Devices
Security for IoT devices – or rather the lack thereof – is well known in the industry. Many home gadgets now have microprocessors that crunch data, from TVs to toothbrushes. And many more have on-going Internet connectivity, making them vulnerable to bugs.
Most IoT devices are a mismatch of hardware and proprietary software. Many use a tweaked version of platforms like Linux. This makes it difficult to track the effect of bugs. As a result, the issue tends to be ignored. Ang Cui, security researcher with Red Balloon, said, “You can’t depend on the world to magically apply each patch.”
There is hopeful news for IoT gadget users. Cui and other researchers recently shared a plan at the S4 security conference to detect bugs. This will include an automated strategy for dealing with security vulnerabilities.
Automated bug discovery tools alone will overwhelm the weak patching structure currently in practice. Ultimately the goal will be to find a practical way for manufacturers to build security into their IoT products.