Texas pre-teen shows cyber security experts how easy it is to hack children’s toys

[Thesauron]

A sixth grade Texas "cyber ninja" has made a big splash by showing security experts how easy it is to use common children's toys to spy on kids, parents and more.

 

Reuben Paul demonstrated how it could be done onstage at a cyber-security conference in the Netherlands last month during the World Forum in The Hague.

 

"From terminators to Teddy bears, anything or any toy can be weaponized," The Guardian reported him telling the crowd.

 

Boy, 11, hacks cyber-security audience to give lesson on 'weaponisation' of toys (The Guardian)

 

Houston Chronicle is the largest daily paper owned and operated by the Hearst Corporation, a privately held multinational corporate media conglomerate, and is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas.

 

 

 

 

[dove]

When I hear things like this it always makes me wonder, aren't they not only giving the wrong people ideas but showing them how to go about doing it?

[ReadYourBible]

3 hours ago, Dove said:

When I hear things like this it always makes me wonder, aren't they not only giving the wrong people ideas but showing them how to go about doing it?

I often think the same thing, but hackers or friends of hackers will always try to break the system and manipulate it for their own 'fun' or enjoyment.  

[tekmantwo]

3 hours ago, Dove said:

When I hear things like this it always makes me wonder, aren't they not only giving the wrong people ideas but showing them how to go about doing it?

I think the same thing when I hear reports on explosions or bombings and the reporter says something like  'it was a homemade bomb, put together very simply, using fertilizer and diesel fuel, remotely detonated with a cell phone....'

 

Really? 

Like, why don't you just go ahead and describe the hole process,  maybe someone will be needing help making his own...wouldn't want to hurt anyone on accident. ..*sigh*...

[Thesauron]

When I hear things like this it always makes me wonder, aren't they not only giving the wrong people ideas but showing them how to go about doing it?

It's never wrong to highlight security issues. This way they can be corrected, and are corrected. Thanks to people willing to attempt to break devices the security of your own devices is strengthened.


Johan

[tekmantwo]

1 hour ago, Thesauron said:

It's never wrong to highlight security issues. This way they can be corrected, and are corrected. Thanks to people willing to attempt to break devices the security of your own devices is strengthened.


Johan

I agree with this,  to a point..

 

If the issues are broadcast the world round, I feel that is wrong. 

 

If things are presented to a group of people that can resolve the revealed faults, and then the issue is resolved quietly,  isn't that a better course of action? 

 

There is no real need to tell everybody,  everything. ..

[Stormswift]

Well my teddy bear (full of wheat) is lying on my tummy keeping me warm so if anyone is spying on me through him,they won't see anything but darkness. 

[hatcheckgirl]

The perils of an interconnected world.  

[Thesauron]

I agree with this,  to a point..
 
If the issues are broadcast the world round, I feel that is wrong. 
 
If things are presented to a group of people that can resolve the revealed faults, and then the issue is resolved quietly,  isn't that a better course of action? 
 
There is no real need to tell everybody,  everything. ..

The thing is, these things are solved by ordinary people, and also, sometimes you just need to know about it so you can change your habits. Ignorance is bad.


Johan

[dove]

4 hours ago, Thesauron said:

The thing is, these things are solved by ordinary people, and also, sometimes you just need to know about it so you can change your habits. Ignorance is bad.


Johan

Thinking  about what I said about giving others these ideas and showing them how to do it.

The ones we don't want to know, the criminal element, are probably way ahead of this and already know all about it, and more..especially if this sixth grader could do it.

 

We could be the last ones to know...

[Thesauron]

Thinking  about what I said about giving others these ideas and showing them how to do it.
The ones we don't want to know, the criminal element, are probably way ahead of this and already know all about it, and more..especially if this sixth grader could do it.
 
We could be the last ones to know...

More likely, so these vulnerabilities are discussed in the open. More so if the software is open source. Then anyone can contribute to it and examine the code. It means that the same vulnerabilities the criminals find, you and I can also find, and if an 11 year old can, so can you and I.


Johan

[dove]

48 minutes ago, Thesauron said:

More likely, so these vulnerabilities are discussed in the open. More so if the software is open source. Then anyone can contribute to it and examine the code. It means that the same vulnerabilities the criminals find, you and I can also find, and if an 11 year old can, so can you and I.


Johan

You took the words right out of my mouth 

[tekmantwo]

13 hours ago, Dove said:

You took the words right out of my mouth 

You've been hacked!!!