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IPFS News Link • Hacking, Cyber Security

The FTC Wants All Your Internet-Connected Things To be Secure

• popsci.com

The Internet's already inextricably intertwined with our everyday lives, and it's only going to become more and more prevalent as the so-called "Internet of Things" takes off. Everything from wearables to home appliances to medical devices are going to be connected to the net, and the U.S.'s Federal Trade Commission wants manufacturers to make sure that the security and privacy of consumers is paramount.

In a detailed report issued by the FTC on Tuesday, the agency spells out a number of best practices companies should take to ensure that their services and products aren't used maliciously.

The FTC says that there are already 25 billion devices around the world connected to the Internet, and that number is expected to double by 2020. As more and more of our everyday devices become connected, those gadgets and gizmos gain an increasing amount of insight into our lives. For example, data from home automation devices could be used to determine patterns of when its occupants are away, based on the thermostat and light settings; wearables also provide location information that ill-intentioned parties could use to discover where someone is at any moment; and medical devices could be aware of sensitive information about a person's health.


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