Why the NSA wants to protect you from your toothbrush – MSNBC

Remember way back in 2017, when then-President Donald Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway appeared to suggest the Trump administration may have been spied on with microwaves?

I certainly do, if for no other reason than it put me in the undesirable position of having to partially defend her claim. There's no evidence this occurred but yes, the capacity exists!

In fact, the topic of household and other internet-connected devices going rogue or worse, being maliciously controlled by third parties is a key concern for the National Security Agency. Thats the word I received from a presentation at this years AI Summit and IoT World, a California-based tech conference.

The conference focused heavily on the Internet of Things, or IoT, a phrase for physical objects yes, like microwaves that werent traditionally connected to the internet in the past but can be now.

Nicole Newmeyer, the NSAs technical director for internet of things integration, said the agency is focused on IoT because its already changing the way we exist as humans and how we interact with the world.

You might have a few IoT devices nearby. Maybe youre being warmed by an internet-connected heater, in a room lit by internet-connected light bulbs, in a home with internet-connected appliances, watching a smart TV while checking the time on your Apple Watch.

Regardless, by years end, at least 46 billion devices around the world are expected to be connected to the internet, according to 2016 data from Juniper Research, a tech consultancy firm. For the growing number of Americans surrounding themselves with smart devices, the popularity of IoT represents a growing attack surface for our nations adversaries, Newmeyer said.

Without proper security protections, everything youve connected to the internet is vulnerable to web-based attacks. And I do mean everything: Newmeyer listed internet-connected toothbrushes, wireless security cameras, service animals with two-way trackers, stoplights, internet-connected military equipment and smart cities as potential targets for malicious actors.

She said businesses have been encouraged to create devices that meet a standard known as common criteria, a framework of security measures put in place for IoT devices. But businesses arent officially required to meet that standard, and even when they have, hacks on IoT devices have continued.

So look, Im not encouraging you to go full-on Luddite here and cast your devices into the sea. Im just saying what youve come to expect from me: We need to hold these tech companies accountable for keeping us safe from dangerous hacks!

Growing up, I had strict Nickelodeon loyalties, but even I watched Disneys Smart House I know how this story goes if we arent careful.

CLARIFICATION (Nov. 16, 2021, 1:08 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this article mischaracterized standards available for IoT devices. Businesses are encouraged to meet a set of standards known as common criteria, but there is no formal certification process for it.

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Head over toThe ReidOut Blogfor more.

Ja'han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He's a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include "Black Hair Defined" and the "Black Obituary Project."

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Why the NSA wants to protect you from your toothbrush - MSNBC