Preface
The upcoming age of the Internet of Things (IoT) will blur the line between our physical and
online lives. Attacks targeting our online spaces will put our physical security at risk. Tradi-
tionally, the attack vectors to our fundamental luxuries have required physical tampering,
mostly because access to the infrastructure has been limited from the Internet. This is about
to change, with the disruption that will be caused by a future with billions of “things” connec-
ted to the Internet.
In this book, we will take a fascinating look at ways some of the most popular IoT-based
devices already available in the market can be abused. We will explore how a simple attack can
cause a perpetual blackout targeting LED lightbulbs, how bad security decisions have grossly
violated the physical safety and privacy of families, and how the insecurity of powerful electric
vehicles can put your life at risk.
The goal of this book is to demonstrate tangible risks in IoT devices that we are going to
depend on more and more as time progresses. Once we begin to understand the causes of
actual security vulnerabilities in devices available today, we will begin to set a path for the
future that will help us enable these devices to securely enhance and augment our lives.
Malicious attackers are already hard at work uncovering and exploiting these security
defects, and they will continue to find crafty avenues to abuse their knowledge every way they
can. These attackers span the spectrum of curious college students to sophisticated private
and state-sponsored criminal gangs that are interested in terrorizing individuals and popula-
tions. The impact of security vulnerabilities in IoT devices can lead to mass compromise of
privacy and cause physical harm. The stakes are high.
Who This Book Is For
This book is for anyone who is interested in deconstructing IoT devices in the market today to
find security vulnerabilities. Doing so will put you in the mindset of malicious attackers who
are also busy finding ways to exploit these devices to their advantage. Understanding the devi-
ous tactics employed by entities targeting the world of the IoT will give you deeper insight into
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