Security for the Car Driver

One of the recent issues of the IEEE Spectrum carried an article of a security breakin into the Greek telephony system.

In order to keep the telephony system updated, the switch manufacturer usually updates firmware in a "live" manner. In many cases, this happens remotely. During this procedure for a Greek telephony switch, some miscreant had tampered with the firmware and used the tampered software to tap many calls. Even the high level Greek government officials were not spared. Finally, the issue came to light due to several SMS being bounced causing people to look at the firmware versions and their authenticity.

Switch over to similar problems that may occur during any remote firmware updates. Such cases where firmware is used include cars reaching to manufacturers to give information about the car's health. Well, what's to say that a disgruntled or malicious employee replaces this with a software which for instance, connects to the GPS and keeps giving your coordinates always.

From thereon, it is not much to track you or your loved ones easily. Well, that's what tech does to society. Seemingly innocuous stuff being used for totally unknown purposes. Atleast, it keeps the security industry occupied and gives them job security.

Time for the embedded systems industry and engineers who have so far stayed away from main-stream security problems to start paying attention, especially if they are going to start updating firmware remotely.

"Personal Security" - What does it imply now ?

There was a time when security at the personal technology level meant keeping the virus invaders at bay. This usually meant that you buy some antivirus package (NAV being my favorite) and hope that takes care of things. The more conservative kept backup and maybe now we assume that life is fine.

However, the interactive nature of personal media/IT usage implies it is beginning to mirror our real life interactions with people. So, just like we tell ourselves to be careful with strangers, so too does it apply to unsolicitied chat messages etc. Just like we tell children not to mingle with foul mouthed friends, so too has that need come with games/movies etc.

A great post on this can be got at http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Towards_a_Safer_Internet_for_Children/551-81694-643.html

You probably can guess now that IT/Tech oriented security is a far greater threat than the virus now and is no longer concerned with just the computer.

I am hoping that soon there will be secure hardware scramblers for foul language builtin within a TV or a DVD player. Maybe even auto scramblers for porno images/videos/chat messages/sms messages.

I do think that Internet Service Providers, TV Broadcasters, Cable TV and other such Media Distribution Companies have a part to play and in fact, can give this as a value-added paid service. I know I will be willing to pay for it.

Keep safe !!