Cyber Murder – The Internet can Kill

The Internet can kill. The first cyber murder, murder through the internet will happen in a matter of months, according to a new report by Interpol.

The report is aimed at shaking up law enforcement agencies who are not equipped to deal with the explosion in devices connected through the internet. These devices include pacemakers, heating, ovens and cars, amongst many more.

The report references previous findings from security firm IID who predicted the first cyber murder would take place this year.

The report forewarns that “With more objects being connected to the internet and the creation of new types of critical infrastructure, we can expect to see (more) targeted attacks on existing and emerging infrastructures, including new forms of blackmailing and extortion schemes, data theft, physical injury and possible death”

The Interpol report also builds on a report from tech firm HP earlier this year that highlighted the vulnerabilities in internet connected devices, or the Internet of Things (IoT) as it is called.

Vulnerabilities highlighted by HP include poor password security and poor or non-existent encryption. In addition, some devices raised privacy concerns by collecting too much personal data and transmitting private data unencrypted. All these flaws mean they are easy targets for hackers and with 26 billion devices predicted to be connected to the internet by 2020, they will have a lot of targets to choose from.

[title type=”h2″ class=””]How can the Internet Kill?[/title]

You may say that is all well and good but how can an internet connected device commit cyber murder ?

There are a number of scenarios ranging from a hacker switching off your alarm system to allow burglars in, a hacker taking control of your internet connected heating system and overloading your boiler until it explodes or an internet controlled oven being instructed to flood the kitchen with gas before sparking the ignition.

The most commonly feared cyber murder would be through internet connected medical devices. Any fans of the hit TV series Homeland will be familiar with the scene where the US Vice-President is murdered by hacking an internet connected defibrillator. You may have watched that and thought it was a little far fetched, but it is a real threat. Dick Cheney, the former US Vice-President had the wireless function on his own defibrillator switched off for fear of a similar attack.

It certainly looks like the machines are on the rise. They may be dumb devices at risk from murderous hackers today but what happens once they are accessible by an intelligent, internet connected machine that has a mind of its own?

Maybe James Cameron’s Terminator was less science fiction and more science vision.

You have been warned, the internet can kill.