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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) spoke at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing today about the susceptibility of Internet of Things (IoT) devices to hacking in light of the recent Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that caused large internet outages. The subcommittee hearing, entitled “Understanding the Role of Connected Devices in Recent Cyber Attacks,” aimed to address weaknesses in cyber infrastructure that allowed hackers to commandeer connected security cameras and other devices to launch an attack on October 21. The attack shut down access to numerous websites over several hours. Latta serves as Co-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Internet of Things Working Group and has heard from representatives in a number of different industries about potential cybersecurity concerns with the Internet of Things.
 
“To fully realize the benefits available from the Internet of Things, we must address the reality that bad actors —whether foreign governments or domestic hackers — are trying to exploit this technology to cause harm,” Latta said about the hearing. “The recent DDoS attack should serve as a wake-up call that our systems are susceptible to attempts to use IoT devices to wreak havoc. While there are safeguards in place with newer technology, today’s hearing was very beneficial as we work to address challenges and vulnerabilities with the Internet of Things.”

Video of Congressman Latta’s opening statement is available here.
 
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