- [Narrator] Industrial systems aren't only ones
that have gone through a major change
over the past decade.
Embedded computer systems are now part
of our everyday life as we adapt
to smart home technology and the internet of things.
It's hard to walk around your house
or the local consumer electronics store
without seeing a huge number of devices
that are now called smart this or smart that.
I now have in my home a smart television,
a smart garage door,
and even a smart sprinkler system.
All that smart means is that the devices
are computer-controlled and network-connected.
On the CISSP exam you should know that the term
they use for smart devices is embedded systems.
Computing technology is embedded in everyday devices.
We might not be able to interact with computers
like we would a laptop or a smartphone
but the computer controllers embedded
inside smart devices allow them to work
in new and exciting ways.
Embedded device technology began
by taking some of the more common
computing devices in our homes
such as game consoles and printers
and making them first network-connected
and then wireless.
Manufacturers quickly realized
that we wanted connectivity to enable
multiplayer games and printing without cables,
and then brought this technology into the home.
From there, the possibilities were endless,
and wireless smart devices spread throughout the home
and even into the garage with the advent of smart cars
that expose in-vehicle computing systems
to the drivers and passengers.
All of these devices come with security challenges, however.
First, it is often difficult for the consumer
to update the software on these devices.
While the device may run slimmed down versions
of traditional operating systems,
they don't always have displays or keyboards
so we might not see that our so called smart device
is actually running an outdated copy of Windows 95.
Second, these devices connect
to the same wireless networks
that we use for personal productivity.
If a smart device is compromised,
it can be a gateway to the rest of our network.
Finally, smart devices often connect
back to cloud services for command and control,
creating a potential pathway onto our network
for external attackers that bypasses the firewall.
These attacks are more than just theoretical.
In 2015, computer security researchers
Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek demonstrated
a successful attack against a vehicle's computing system.
With permission, the two hackers took control
of a Jeep driven by a Wired Magazine reporter
and started small by blasting the air conditioning,
changing the radio station,
and placing their photos on the in-car display.
Then things got serious as the attackers
disabled the accelerator
and caused the car to come to a halt
on a busy interstate highway.
The real scary thing about this attack?
The attacks were 10 miles away
and managed to connect to the vehicle
through an internet connection
for the car's in-vehicle connectivity system.
That is why it's important to secure embedded systems.
In the next two videos we'll discuss ways
that you can secure smart devices on your networks.