The Federal Trade Commission(FTC) just settled a case with web-enabled camera maker TRENDnet, signaling the government agency's first action against an Internet of Thing's company.
The FTC's complaint alleges that TRENDnet was labeling their cameras as secure, when in reality the camera had faulty software that left them open to online viewing and audio access to anyone who had the Internet address of the camera.
The FTC / TRENDnet case is the first, in what I predict is a future filled with security and privacy violations by Internet of Things products and companies. As we blindly race forward with the exciting Internet of Things, many companies will disregard the security of their hardware and software, just like TRENDnet did.
Hopefully as an industry we can help make sure this doesn't get out of hand, and don't require the federal government to police the situation. As technology providers, we need to make sure the software, hardware and APIs that drive the Internet of Things is properly secured, protecting our customers and the industry.
