IoTA 16 - 8.9.16

Show notes:

Darlene Storm of Computerworld reports that hackers at the recent Def Con convention successfully hacked smart thermostats and infected them with Ransomware. Andrew Tierney and Ken Munro of PenTest Partners only took a few days to hack the thermostat. The thermostat runs a modified version of Linus and a large LCD screen (which was used to show the ransom demands). However, the attack was local, using a SD card to access the device, but they say that a remote attack was also possible.	http://www.computerworld.com/article/3105001/security/hackers-demonstrated-first-ransomware-for-iot-thermostats-at-def-con.html
IoT is lowering the cost of building management systems reports Phillip Tracy of RCR Wireless News. Companies such as Johnson Controls, Trane, and Honeywell have long produced BMS systems, unfortunately the costs for a building are staggering. BMS systems typically cost between $2.50-$7 a square foot, costing upwards of a quarter million for an office building. This means that it takes about 4 years to recover the cost. That also means that low traffic buildings such as warehouses or garages are not even equipped. However with the cost of IoT being much lower, an IoT solution can cost between $5,000 and $35,000 for an equivalent space.	https://www.rcrwireless.com/20160808/internet-of-things/building-management-system-tag31-tag99
Looking for a discount on your home owners insurance? Get an IoT alarm report Rol Perez of SC Magazine. Zurich Insurance is now offering home owners a 10% discount on their insurance when they install an IoT based home monitoring and security system. Part of the report states that this is in part because IoT sensors are more reliable for reporting problems than traditional security methods.	http://www.scmagazineuk.com/insurance-firm-now-offering-discount-on-use-of-iot-alarm/article/514501/
National Retail Federation reports that the retail industry is poised for a revolution by using IoT. Len Lewis writes that retail is moving beyond simple RFID tracking of pallets and products and is moving to tools and systems that can monitor the retail space in real time. The term that comes up often is "Proximity Marekting" which allows retailers to attract attention to a particular product while the customer is near. However, they admit that they are at best "in adolescence" and that there is still plenty of advancements ahead.	https://nrf.com/news/the-internet-of-things