Cybersecurity in the future: Security 'by PlayStation' and IoT asbestos

ZDNet

HELSINKI, FINLAND: Social dependency on internet connectivity, the toxic hell stew caused by vulnerable Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and "walled garden" devices will all feature heavily in the future of cybersecurity, an expert has predicted. 

During the SPHERE cybersecurity conference on June 1, WithSecure Chief Research Officer (CRO) Mikko Hyppönen told attendees that several themes are likely to heavily impact future generations' security alongside how consumer and enterprise devices are managed and protected. 

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The cybersecurity expert believes that future generations will be just as dependent on connectivity as we are on electricity today. If the electricity grid fails due to a solar storm, for example, Hyppönen said many countries would feel the sting and potentially collapse due to how reliant we have become on this power source.

One prediction he offered is that while the internet is important today, it has not reached a stage where it is considered crucial for society to function -- unlike electricity. However, the day may come when connectivity powers everything in society, from the economy to food production. So without it, society "wouldn't be able to function."

The executive is, of course, talking about the millions, if not billions, of IoT devices connected to the internet today. 

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Hyppönen highlighted the trouble brewing when you have a future filled with devices containing outdated firmware that cannot be updated -- a scenario he calls "IoT asbestos."

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According to Hyppönen, over 98% of malware samples scanned by WithSecure daily originate from money-making cybercriminal gangs. 

The "enemy" base has evolved far beyond the development of floppy disk viruses. Threat actors now make a fortune from ransomware and cryptocurrencies, leading to a current -- and future -- scenario when you have wealthy criminals able to invest in their attacks. 

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However, as more people enter AI as a career, barriers to entry come down, and it becomes easier to utilize AI frameworks. But "criminal groups can also start competing for these skills," as they have the wealth required to do so. 

As a result, AI will take over the manual labor currently conducted by cybercriminals, turning the cybersecurity battlefield from a fight between the manual labor of threat actors and automated defenses to a clash between the "automatic and automatic."

"The only thing able to stop a bad AI is a good AI," Hyppönen noted.

Security "by PlayStation"

Another shift in the tech world of note, which is already happening but has room to grow, is what the executive calls "Security by PlayStation."

When you purchase a gaming console, like a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox, you buy a computer but do not have the right to customize it or launch programs that the vendor has not approved. Sure, it is possible to jailbreak a PlayStation and run unsigned code, but this is a difficult task and not one the average gamer will undertake. 

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