Want Safer Internet of Things? Change Government Buying Rules.

NextGov: There’s a lot of worry about securing the internet of things—about Russia hacking our infrastructure, China spying on our conversations, evildoers tracking our military personnel in real time. The national permeation of IoT devices—such as smart speakers, thermostats and electrical grid sensors—poses a growing risk to national security that the U.S. federal government is struggling to address.

In January, researchers discovered they could track U.S. military personnel over the internet in real time. Why? They were wearing fitness trackers like Fitbit, and there were no Defense Department policies to prevent the troops from wearing them—despite what were evidently dismal privacy protocols.

Read article