I’m not a big fan of “the Internet of Things”. I think a simple device is less likely to crash than something with a mini-OS and an internet connection that could be monitored and used to hack the device.
I recall reading about an automatic pet feeder that “crashed” due to problems with the Internet of Things. It’s basically a can opener with an alarm clock, why does it need an internet connection? This could have gone badly for anyone who trusted the device to keep a pet fed for a week.
But then I read this story and realized that one specific device could result in people dying.
Abbott has sold hundreds of thousands of pacemakers that can communicate wirelessly. The point of the wireless connection is to monitor your heartbeat for medical problems with a transmitter.
They can also be updated (so they receive data). Turns out that may have been a mistake…
All functionality? I know the heart won’t literally stop beating if the pacemaker stops working, but I really don’t like the idea of calling up my doctor and saying “My smartphone said my pacemaker needs to go to the shop. Can we do this tonight?”
The regulators said to talk to your doctor about firmware updates. I hope the update is simple and doesn’t require an IT degree. The story engaged in some worry (excessive worry?) that hackers could, well, hack someone’s heart if they’re using a pacemaker. (I read that scenario in a John Rain novel. I don’t think it’s too likely in real life though. Or at least I didn’t think so until now. The victim in question didn’t have a “smart” heart though.)
Imagine if your heart were operated by Windows 10. You have an update that messes things up and forces it to restart. At least there’s no automatic update…