Weekend Reads 011918: IoT, Cyberthreat Thinking, and Techlash

Throughout 2016 and 2017, attacks from massive botnets made up entirely of hacked IoT devices had many experts warning of a dire outlook for Internet security. But the future of IoT doesn’t have to be so bleak. Here’s a primer on minimizing the chances that your IoT things become a security liability for you or for the Internet at large. —Krebs on Security

The cybercrime and cyber terrorism raging today are the most visible symptoms of a more pervasive problem concerning cyber security. How to establish a fair and just governance regime in cyberspace and establish international rules spark a storm of controversy. The controversy reflects the competing interests and demands of three distinct cyberspace actors: the state, the citizen, and the international community. By focusing only on one’s own interests, each actor ignores the interests of the other two, resulting in the current situation in which each sticks to its own argument and refuses to reconcile. —Hao Yeli

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein has given talks where he proposes that tech companies decrease their communications and device security for the benefit of the FBI. In a recent talk, his idea is that tech companies just save a copy of the plaintext… —Schneier on Security

In this post, I’ll talk about fingerprinting​ documents​ using text-based steganography‏‎. T⁠he problem we’re​ trying​ to solve is as follows‏‎. We​ have​ a​ sensitive document that​ must​ be distributed​ to​ some​ number of​ readers. Let’s say, for​ example, that​ Grandpa has​ decided​ to share his​ famous​ cookie recipe​ with​ each​ of​ his grandchildren‏‎. B⁠ut​ it’s super important​ to him that​ the​ recipe​ stays in​ the​ family! S⁠o they’re​ not​ allowed to share it with​ anyone else‏‎. I⁠f​ Grandpa finds​ pieces of his​ cookie​ recipe online later, he​ wants to know which​ grandchild​ broke the​ family​ trust. —by Noam with Micha @FF Labs

U.S. lawmakers are urging AT&T Inc, the No. 2 wireless carrier, to cut commercial ties to Chinese phone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and oppose plans by telecom operator China Mobile Ltd to enter the U.S. market because of national security concerns, two congressional aides said. —Diane Bartz @The Free Beacon

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas J. Donohue on January 10, 2018, warned that “techlash” is a threat to prosperity in 2018. What was he getting at? A “backlash against major tech companies is gaining strength — both at home and abroad, and among consumers and governments alike.” “Techlash” is a shorthand reference to a variety of impulses by government and others to shape markets, services, and products; protect local interests; and step in early to prevent potential harm to competition or consumers. —Megan L. Brown @CircleID