I often wonder if working in control systems has always been this fun. Whenever new technology emerges it is not long before it is incorporated into a ‘thing’ that does something in the real world.
In the last five years, Internet of Things growth has been phenomenal. According to Internet of things – Wikipedia the term ‘Internet of Things’ has been around for over 20 years. While the term may only have existed for a couple of decades, the ability for digital devices to control real world equipment has been around a lot longer.
Unfortunate, then, is the fact that we are often caught off guard when critical infrastructure is impacted by cyber attacks.
Some recent examples….
https://www.cyberscoop.com/gas-pipeline-cyberattack-ransomware-colonial/
KDH working to restore systems following cybersecurity incident | Kemptville District Hospital
Availability of fuel, safe drinking water, and even emergency medical care all have been impacted by cybersecurity events.
Some simple practices can help:
- Set up administrator and user accounts with separate passwords.
- Limit the number of people who have an administrator account.
- Don’t use an easy to guess password.
- Disable unused accounts as soon as they are no longer needed.
It’s amazing that you can now set up your home door lock to let the gas technician come in to service your appliances when you are running late. Just make sure to disable the account after the appointment.
It gives peace of mind to be able to view your home camera system while you are away on vacation. Make sure the password is something other than MyLastName123. That’s easily guessed and can also let anyone view your camera feeds as well!