The internet of things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we work, live and experience the world around us. But these innovative technologies are not without its problems, particularly security. There have been countless articles written about the potential for hackers or even spies to access important information and use it to their advantage. Now the NSA wants to access your data, too, and they want everything from smart home info to biomedical device data.
According to Popular Mechanics: "Smart cameras record your every move and upload that data to the cloud and anyone can intercept that footage on the way, like these Russian hackers did to thousands of webcams that were secured only by their default passwords. Microphones can record your conversations. A smart thermostat's usage patterns can reveal when you're going to be out of the house. Even something as simple as a smart egg tray can tell snoopers when you go grocery shopping. And for many people, some or all of that information will be relatively unsecured.
And now, it looks like the NSA is planning to tap into all that to get information on potential terror threats. NSA deputy director Richard Ledgett did not go into detail about how exactly the NSA will be collecting that information, and only said that the agency would be "looking at it... from a research point of view." However, in the future the agency may start bulk collection of data from IoT devices, much as they currently do for phone calls. It's unclear what consequences this will have for security tomorrow, or years down the line."
