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Comment by MobileVet | Hacker News Reader

Not news to this crowd... but I think it is pretty significant that a major consumer electronics manufacturer would come out and say this to the mainstream public.

What can a hacked tv do besides relay viewing information or connect to Hoolinet? Clearly it could be added to a botnet, but would Samsung be liable for that? Do the TVs have microphones or cameras... that would open Samsung up for a lawsuit.

What is to gain from this announcement?

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It could serve as a launching point for further attacks - it's already inside the network, which is sometimes relevant especially in a corporate environment.

It could display ads or install ransomware "send us $10 of bitcoin to be able to watch TV again."

> Clearly it could be added to a botnet

This is why I believe in metered data plans. Certainly not ridiculously expensive ones, but not "unlimited" access either.

If your IoT devices become open relay DDoS machines, it should show up on your bill. I'm convinced it's the only solution that aligns incentives correctly.

That does not at all seem like an appropriate solution to the problem

Seems like a bit of a silly solution. Personally, I wouldn’t need financial incentive not to have devices on my network be associated with illegal activity.

So, people shouldn't have ''unlimited'' access to the Internet, because they've had IoT garbage forced upon them and its their ''responsibility'' to manage it, when they usually can't actually control it anyway?

Not only that, but a DDoS is usually only an issue for a large central location that is perhaps part of this manner of problem, anyway.

They can go to Hell.

Nobody has had IoT garbage forced upon them. They bought it and connected it to the network, therefore it's their responsibility to manage it. Ignorance of basic network security is no more a defense against allowing malicious code on your network than ignorance of the law is a defense in court.

Some people have though, there are flats and houses rented and sold that come with all these things. Either by having smart blinds, lights and fridges already coming pre installed.

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