Air-gapping senselessly connected devices

[jaclaz]

JFYI:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/05/kaspersky_says_airgap_industrial_systems_why_not_airgap_baby_monitors_as_well/
 
 
 

I wasn't at AusCERT this year, but watching the Tweet-stream and chatting to fellow Vulture Darren Pauli kept me clued-in, and I was interested to hear that Eugene Kaspersky thinks air-gaps are a good way to protect SCADA systems.

Because you won't convince the industrial sector to reverse the cost savings it got from connecting to the Internet, a bit of extra work is required. Kaspersky particularly mentioned blocking all but essential control traffic from the network, thereby forcing things like software updates to be carried out by humans on sneakernet.

.......

The problem is, a huge effort out among the tech sector wants to eliminate all possible air-gaps between citizens' technological gadgets and the Internet.

Try turning off data access on your smartphone, for example: it will probably complain incessantly that it can't connect to Google or Apple.

Every “quantified self” device on Earth assumes there's no air-gap to the Internet – because data-collection is the name of the game, and what keeps the device cheap.

And so it goes for connected homes, WiFi light bulbs, Smart TVs, storage and all the rest. The industry is turning a blind eye to its own inability to secure anything, and pushing users to connect the whole lot to the Internet.

Maybe an air-gap is better. Perhaps you don't actually need to get separation anxiety just because you left the house and you're worried that your washing machine or air-conditioner will get lonely. Perhaps it's a better idea to relinquish the reassurance that your oven and fridge are still pinging the app on your smartphone, and air-gap them.

 
'nuf said
 
jaclaz