nanog mailing list archives

Re: Spitballing IoT Security


From: Chris Boyd <cboyd () gizmopartners com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 06:51:11 -0500


On Oct 25, 2016, at 3:10 AM, Ronald F. Guilmette <rfg () tristatelogic com> wrote:

An IoT is -not- a general purpose computer.  In the latter case, it is
assumed that the owner will "pop the hood" when it comes to the software
configuration.

Ah, but they are.  In many cases you can ship a product faster and cheaper with an ARM based system running a stripped 
down Linux and some specialty I/O than building a properly hardened custom microcontroller.  Source: Recently went 
through a round of proposals and bids for a small IoT type product.

Also, you probably _don’t_ want the average consumer “popping the hood” on their PC OS.  They will screw something up.  
Worked in small business IT hell for 8 years, and that was the single most dangerous thing a customer could do.

—Chris


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