I recently
updated the older wall oven in my home with a new high-tech model. Among the features of this new oven is the ability to control its operation via wi-fi. This got me to thinking about the potential hazards of this feature and generally “the internet of things.”
Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the internet. Like the evolution of electricity, the internet has developed in a similar way. Early internet applications centered around transmitting and receiving limited amounts of data over telephone lines. In other words, they were hard wired. Early adoption of electricity inspired by the inventions of Thomas Edison were hard wired direct current (DC) systems, only to give way to alternating current (AC) championed by the works of Nikola Tesla. Alternating current led to the creation of the electrical grid that transports electrical power across a network of interconnected systems covering vast distances. As the AC power grid expanded in the late 19th century, along came another invention of titanic proportions – the wireless radio. Again, it was Tesla who was instrumental in the discovery of the wonders of wireless radio waves.
Fast forward a mere 100 years. Thanks to the invention of electricity and the harnessing of radio waves, we entered the digital age. The internet and its endless nodes of connectivity, both wired and wireless, simply boggles the mind. The dark side of this phenomena that we call progress is that each point of connection along this digital global highway represents a potential hacking opportunity for those wishing to do harm. Global cyber-security and the construction and management of firewalls is estimated to be a $125 Billion industry and growing at double digit rates. However, it seems that unscrupulous hackers continue to outsmart the good guys.
Given the real danger of potential apocalyptic cyber events, maybe its time to seriously consider the principle of “data localization.” The best example of data localization is perhaps China’s “Great Firewall,” which severely restricts internet access to its critical infrastructure. China is not alone in this movement, as several other countries are seeking ways to insulate themselves from digital invaders.
It’s safe to say that any movement to limit unfettered globalism of the internet is sure to meet heavy resistance from the social media giants and the huge purveyors of our personal data whose very existence is dependent upon a willing and sometimes naive worldwide user base. Social Media subscribers mistakenly believe that these services come to them for free. The fact of the matter is that if you aren’t paying for the product, then you are the product.
Every day seems to bring new headlines of cyber terrorism, both foreign and domestic, enabled by easy access to the internet. Maybe it’s time we took firewalls to a new level and think about hard wiring some critical access points to our internet and forgo a few freedoms and conveniences in favor of additional security in order to minimize external hazardous threats to our person and infrastructure.
So, who was right – Edison or Tesla? Hard to say. But this beacon of freedom of expression so revered by Americans has indeed led to unintended consequences. Do I really want someone in Bangladesh the ability to control the oven in my home with their cell phone?
Rants, Raves & Reflections 