Schneier: It's Time to Regulate IoT to Improve Cyber-Security
Even though many people scoff at the idea of government regulations, the economic incentives in IoT security are really all messed up and it&#x27;s not really clear that the market will fix itself because so much of the damage can be externalized somehow. Does the manufacturer of a cheap and outdated IoT device care if it&#x27;s participating in some ddos attack? Or like Schneier said, does the consumers care if they don&#x27;t notice?<p>There seem to be some soft mechanisms that governments could explore. Maybe something like demanding opening the source code once security updates for the device stop, so consumers could help themselves. Or at least, an even more modest regulation, simply allowing all consumers to hack their own devices without fear of violating any laws.<p>One thing that could hurt the market is maybe making manufacturers liable for the damages caused by security holes in their devices, but regulation doesn&#x27;t have to go that far to make an impact.