Internet of Things -Who could spoil the fun?

Category	Characteristic
Hackers	Observant, studious; Unauthorized, illegal access to computers and data; seeking to'penetrate' the system; may have a psychological urge to so do.
White hackers	Self claimants to relatively harmless: they state they are normally operation improvement biased; they try to examine operational mistakes.
Crackers	Serious offenders, can cause serious damage to the IoT system.  Enters with the intentional purpose of obtaining unauthenticated access to someone else’s information and data.
Vandals	Could access systems to deletes files, reformat hard disks at will; cause serious breach through pilferage; loss of inventoried information data; data may be irretrievable.
Jokers	Relatively minor players; not so harmful; (a probable group of possible braggarts; those who wanna prove they can).
Breakers	Very serious offenders - Professionals who can comprehend, make and unmake programs; thieves of data; spies for profits; proxy fighters; invaders backed by real war-mongers
Phreakers	(Common among less developed countries; some segments of expatriates in the Gulf): they break into telephone systems - use phone networks to evade payment of  big telephone bills; obtain access codes; steal telephone , information; may use phone cards and access numbers in an illicit manner with purpose to transfer telephone conversation charges to other people. (See also collectors below)
Carders	Paying oneself with others’ cards
Cyber crows	The financial criminals -breakers into computer systems of financial and banking accounts. Obtain numbers of ATM, credit cards and some other valuable information; may sell obtained information to other people; could at from multiple locations in a concerted manner
Collectors (codes kids)	Interceptors of various passwords, codes and numbers of private phone companies that have access to global networks.
Computer pirates	Breakers of the highest order; specialized in illegal cracking of protection systems of licensed software and then sell it at prices that are significantly lower than prices of the manufacturers.

References:-

1.  Researching the Psychology of Hackers

December 2, 2015  By Martin McKeay

https://securityintelligence.com/researching-the-psychology-of-hackers/

accessed on 21^st  September 2016

2. Cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken thinks we need to understand cybercriminal motivations, while mentoring young people with tech and hacking skills

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/03/hackers-gonna-hack-but-why-maybe-freud-has-the-answer

accessed on 21^st September 2016

3. Who hacks? Who cracks?

Date: May 10  2004. source: computer crime research center: Victor Sabadash
http://www.crime-research.org/news/10.05.2004/246/

Accessed on 21 september 2016.

Securing the Internet of Things from terrorism

Terrorists use the internet on a 4 R frame - to relate to, recruit, retain, and refer their clandestine network. They use the net to build bonds and networks, and to maintain dangerous relationships. Given a common mission (to disrupt if not destroy the State), they meet and tie together in virtual space platform.  

How do the terrorists use the internet?

• Selling a radical ideology - the web as a medium to propagate.
• Eavesdrop to  enable recruiting followers with an extreme bend of mind.
• Virtually communicate in forms which are accessible to password restricted followers but inaccessible to authorities.
• Deepening relationships through instilling fear within and without and creating the obsession of goal achievement.
• Building protected cyber-forums.
• Instilling hatred for the system.
• Provoking the mind of the potential recruit (may be through a photo, a story, a harping on a series of stories.  call to action).
• Exaltation of terrorism to obsessive levels in the psyche of the potential terrorist.
• ‘Fundamentalizing’ thought from a level of acceptance of the neighbour to a level of abhorrence. 
• Arranging stealth finance. Payment systems are used: funds are moved through electronic wire transfers, credit card or alternate payment facilities.
• Using avenues like crowd funding, e-commerce to solicit funds for the illegal activities.  

  

Criminal activity in finance would include

• identity theft,
• access to account database,
• credit card theft,
• wire fraud,
• stock fraud,
• intellectual property crimes,
• auction fraud, 
• e-gold online payment accounts  
• using commodity markets

Case 1: Younis Tsouli  (2005) built websites and ran web forums for terrorists. He was a distributor of video material for terrorists. He hijacked web sites; ran password-protected forums with large number of members which were used for military instructions. Laundered money was used to fund the registration of nearly 180 websites as also to equip terrorists across several countries. Approximately 1,400 credit cards generated approximately £1.6 million of crime driven money.

Case 2: Tariq Al-Daour (2006)  had 37,000 credit card details on his computer drives. These were obtained through phishing attacks or purchased in on-line forums where stolen information circulates. Gullible people were led to believe that they were verifying their accounts were unwittingly helping the group fund their terrorist activities.

As terrorists connect through cyberspace, IoT raises security issues as never before. Given that the devices are all inter-connected, theft at any one point could have a contagion effect with the criminal having recourse to a huge set of data. Ranging from electronic key to mobiles to identity theft, there are multiple avenues but also immense potential for harm. IoT would enable availability of movements and preferences of consumers,Criminal hackers could track these through a host of inter-connected devices. The security threat implicit in multiple connected devices has to be instilled in the consumer mind-set. In the absence of any IoT regulator, self regulatory standards by independent vendor are essential.

References:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7191248.stm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032500020_2.html

http://www.in.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/The-Internet-of-Things-an-identity-theft-goldmine-for-terrorists-and-criminals/articleshow/46382227.cms

http://techonomy.com/2016/08/27253/

(Excerpts from a forthcoming book by the author)