Internet of Things Security

26

September

2016

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The fact that we can turn on the heater or washing machine before we get home, or adjust the lights by using our smartphones will soon not surprise us any more. We live in the Internet of Things (IoT) era where digitally connected devices are invading on every aspect of our lives, including our offices, cars, homes and even our own bodies. Researchers estimate that by 2020 the number of active wireless connected devices will exceed 40 billion!

Although the above-mentioned new technologies all sound really positive as it makes your life easier every day there is a downside to the Internet of Things concept as well. Namely, that the concept is attracting an increasingly amount of cybercriminals. The more online connected devices, the more possibilities for cybercriminals to hack.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem the Internet of Things Security concept is getting more and more important (even at government-level). The entire global tech community must address this concept via active participation.

Some of the points that can be done to improve Internet of Things Security from the developer’s point of view are:

  • Put security on nr. 1.
    Think about the importance of security from the moment you start to think of a new IoT technology.
  • No rush.
    Don’t rush to bring new products and services to the market but focus on long-term security.
  • Access control
    Implement a secure device authentication, which lives up to the needs of IoT technologies.
  • Know your enemies
    Take a close look at possible hackers before tackling your IoT Security issues.
  • Look out for the invasion
    Always be prepared for an invasion of hackers. Make sure you have a plan to securely transfer important data for example.

As you can read, there are a lot of difficulties to overcome before an Internet of Things technology can grow into something big. Hopefully we will find our way in the security of this revolutionary concept and make it into the ‘Internet of Everything’.

What do you think of Internet of Things Security? Will we find a way to overcome these risks and make sure the Internet of Things can evolve in the right way?

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How ‘Sweetie 2.0’ will put a stop to the webcam child sex tourism

23

September

2016

5/5 (2)

Imagine that at any time of the day around 750.000 men (mostly Western) are looking for online webcam sex with children. This webcam sex tourism is growing rapidly due to increasing popularity of Internet and mobile phones in developing countries. If nothing is done, it is expected to develop into a global industry!

For several years ‘Terre des Hommes’, an organization situated in the Netherlands that works towards a world where children are no longer exploited, has been doing research in order to create awareness on this problem and prevent the growth. After several years of research they introduced Sweetie in 2013. Sweetie is a 10-year-old fictional character from the Philippines. Sweetie is a computer model, made piece by piece by capturing the movements of a real person and applying them onto here. By using a virtual reality application they control her movements. By tracking down the information given by the men on sources such as Google and Facebook they can identify these paedophiles without hacking into their computers.

Watch this video to see how ‘Sweetie’ works

The outcome of the research was shocking! Terre des Hommes identified over 1000 offenders of webcam sex with children in just two months. Followed by this huge success the United Nations put the subject on the agenda of the Human Rights, Police experts approached the organization with questions about the method of investigation and the first arrests took place. As you can read a proactive approach works and the use of virtual reality technology has influenced the prevention of the webcam child sex industry heavily, thereby it disrupted the investigation methods used by the Police.

Unfortunately, the problem has not been solved structurally, these criminals still find their way. Therefore, Terre des Hommes is, in cooperation with Tracksinspector and supported by international specialists and sponsors, developing a new advanced software that can be implemented worldwide: Sweetie 2.0. The most innovative function of the Sweetie 2.0 software is the use of a personified chat robot (chatbot), which enables Sweetie to actually engage in a dialogue and recognize online paedophiles by the way of responses. So, the disruptive technology continues!

Watch this video to see how ‘Sweetie 2.0’ works

The results of this new software are not yet published but I expect this software and the disruptive technology to put a stop to the growth of this industry eventually! Due to the alignment with national and international frameworks for investigation and prosecution, the worldwide collaboration is possible and Sweetie 2.0 will make the difference!

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