Sunday, December 29, 2013

"They should have called it Panopticon: your appliances are spying on you."

Tech giants form AllSeen Alliance to fast track "Internet of Everything"
Reader Chris forwards this link with the comment: "This out in the open story about appliance networking doesn't cover the hidden aspects of what other data might be collected and how such data might be misused. He also writes:
I suspect that there already are backchannels in whatever wireless networks are around to transmit things like your taste in movies back from your new DVD player to the corporate/government computer complex. I suspect that cable modems have microphones in them to transmit audio, but I'm too lazy and dysfunctional to open one up and study it. Google's terms of use specifically include that they can record audio from your computer That is one downside of microelectronics and complexity - just about any functionality can be hidden in plain sight. So, you have to watch for the fugitive transmissions in other ways that are more convenient. Like the guy with the EZ Pass monitor.
This is part of the genre of fugitive emissions from devices. Note that it is intentional misdirection to suggest that the Chinese are behind it, or even are the major players. The problem is far more pervasive and the "no secrets agency" are major players in this sector. They do a very thorough job covering their tracks.
In addition, he forwards this good news:
Pre-Hacked Electronics Come Straight From China’s Factories.
See also here and here.
He concludes by saying, "Get the sensors and monitors out of my house and out of my car."

3 comments:

Toastrider said...

Oh boy.

"I suspect that cable modems have microphones in them to transmit audio, but I'm too lazy and dysfunctional to open one up and study it. "

My bullshit meter just jumped right there. If you're serious, and suspicious, you -make- the time to find this out.

I'm not saying this is nothing to worry about, but when someone says something like this, my eyebrow rises a bit.

Anonymous said...

Do you mean that when I moon my webcam I am mooning the Feds?

Result!

III

Anonymous said...

The "china news" link doesn't work anymore. I read it and now I get a "403 forbidden" error. Anyone else? Very interesting article though...