Privacy in the Digital Age

Submission by @Hypoluxy (Discord & Twitter)

Whether you know it or not, every time you access the internet your data is recorded and stored online. Even if you take basic security measures to the next level, such as enabling two-factor authentication and encrypting everything online, you and your data are still in danger. This newfound rise of cybersecurity is directly correlated with the increase in cybercrime around the world. As of now, no one is invulnerable while accessing the Internet. Your identity, finances, and personal information are all susceptible to attacks. This is just scraping the surface of what could be exposed within the digital universe.

The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection of devices and objects that send and receive data via the Internet. Some argue that the IoT is simply a radical expansion of how we perceive “the Internet,” but it’s undoubtedly manifesting itself in every aspect of our lives. This complex linkage of cyberspace and physical systems allow individuals to have access to a never-ending stream of information, but at what cost? The IoT is impossible to regulate due to platform fragmentation which exposes many vulnerabilities across the technology, one major threat being privacy. Do you enjoy the convenience of using your wireless printer? How about asking your personal assistant Alexa what the weather is like? Or even reordering your favorite cookies using your Amazon Dash button. Are these quality of life devices worth the risk of your privacy?

As time goes on, we subconsciously become more dependent on technology each and every day. These technologies that enhance our everyday lives are truly great, however, we tend to overlook whether or not these devices have adequate security features. Technology comes in many forms, and the vulnerabilities of the IoT could lead to harmless, or even life-threatening consequences.

Let’s look at a few examples:

Fish Tank Thermostat

According to Business Insider, hackers once stole a casino’s high-roller database through a thermometer in the lobby fish tank. Darktrace CEO Nicole Eagan told attendees at an event in London how cybercriminals exploited a vulnerability in a connected thermostat in the unnamed casino. “The attackers used that to get a foothold in the network,” she explained. “They then found the high-roller database and then pulled that back across the network, out the thermostat, and up to the cloud.

Jeep Cherokee Hack

In 2015, two security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek were able to hack a Jeep Cherokee. A flaw in several Chrysler models lets hackers remotely control them, which posed an unprecedented danger for many American drivers. Hackers could have cut the brakes, shut down the engine, drive it off the road, or even make all the electronics go haywire. This led to Chrysler recalling 1.4 million cars of various makes and models. If you would like to know how hackers accomplished this feat, it was explained at the Black Hat USA conference in 2015 here.

Hackable Cardiac Devices

On January 9th 2017, the FDA has reviewed information concerning potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with Merlin@home Transmitters. They have confirmed that these vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow access to an unauthorized user. For example, someone other than the patient’s physician could remotely access a patient’s RF-enabled implanted cardiac device. They could do this by altering the Merlin@home Transmitter. The altered transmitter could then be used to modify programming commands on the implanted device, which could result in rapid battery depletion and/or administration of inappropriate pacing or shocks.

Around 7 months later, the FDA published an updated statement regarding a firmware update to address these vulnerabilities. The full safety communication release could be found here.

ODIN Blockchain

So how does a cryptocurrency play a role in all of this? It’s inevitable that technology is constantly being innovated and adopted into our everyday lives. Keeping that in mind, we can’t always be sure that these devices will have adequate security features built into them. Privacy is supposed to be a fundamental human right. Yet in this digital day and age, even our online privacy is being threatened. If someone wanted to infringe on your online privacy badly enough, there would be a way to do so.

Mobile internet usage surpassed desktop usage in 2016 for the first time in history. ODIN blockchain is targeting the mobile-space for a very good reason. Here’s an excerpt from the ODIN whitepaper:

Coupled with the low entry threshold, a mobile device provides increased use in developing countries, it is becoming clear that mobile platforms will increase their market share in the future, to the point of becoming the absolute preferred method. Taking the increasing popularity of mobile devices into account, it therefore makes sense for ODIN to focus its efforts on securing and anonymizing applications, data and services that primarily utilize the mobile platform. ODIN will support applications that allow everything that could be done before, but without compromising your privacy or online security.

The fact of the matter is that the rise of the IoT is simply out of our control. Understanding our digital universe and the consequences of our actions will reduce our chances of becoming a victim, without missing out on what the internet has to offer. We can protect ourselves by recognizing the risks when purchasing interconnected devices. In the same thoughtful manner we must be careful with our daily interaction with data, since big companies treat our personal data like commodities. Luckily for us, there is a multitude of initiatives such as Loki and ODIN Blockchain that are trying to give us control over our data on internet. By empowering ourselves with technology that gives us control of our data, we will begin to push back against the tide, and take back our digital liberty.

Sources

https://www.businessinsider.com/hackers-stole-a-casinos-database-through-a-thermometer-in-the-lobby-fish-tank-2018-4

https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/remote-car-hack/9395/

https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/blackhat-jeep-cherokee-hack-explained/9493/

https://money.cnn.com/2015/07/24/technology/chrysler-hack-recall/index.html?sr=twmoney072415chrysler900story

https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm535843.htm

https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm573669.htm

http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/C.3/71/L.39/Rev.1

https://odinblockchain.org/odin-blockchain-white-paper/

Hypoluxy is long-term ODIN community member and enthusiast. He has established himself in the ODIN ecosystem in many ways from continuous support in the chat channels and even contributions to the official whitepaper. You can find his ODIN commentary on his blog www.odinhypo.com or even follow his twitter personality at www.twitter.com/hypoluxy. For general feedback, comments, or concerns, he can always be reached on the Official ODIN Blockchain Discord at @Hypoluxy#6666.