Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of IoT security updates

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by MichaelZuo on Tuesday September 05, 2023 @03:28PM (#37396565)

This is a good point, some IoT devices really can't be designed to be physically serviceable, while still remaining reasonably compact, e.g. those that need very high levels of water resistance, especially saltwater resistance.

And adding any remote update mechanism at all would more then likely decrease overall security.

So there actually should be a counter mandate too, for devices that are impractical to design to be physically serviceable, while meeting certain size/weight/etc. requirements.

To make sure remote update mechanisms, of any kind, are never implemented, unless the manufacturer can guarantee that the update mechanism itself doesn't introduce new flaws.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by fragmede on Tuesday September 05, 2023 @09:14PM (#37400174)

It sounds like you're looking for a carve out so you don't have to upgrade your devices to have a modern microcontroller that supports remote updates and are using saltwater as a scary thing so no one challenges you on it.

You can conformal coat a ESP32 with a sensor and battery and a wireless charger, and get remote updating. If hobbyists are doing that without commercial backing, what industry experts like you have access to must be even better.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by MichaelZuo on Tuesday September 05, 2023 @10:00PM (#37400545)

You appear to be under a lot of mistaken assumptions.

And in any case, the default ideal is to have an option to update or reprogram devices in-person.

It's never an ideal, that I've ever seen expressed on HN, to have a remote actor capable of doing so, unless in a totally air gapped environment.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by fragmede on Wednesday September 06, 2023 @06:24AM (#37403277)

I'm interested in learning! what are those mistaken assumptions?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by beambot on Wednesday September 06, 2023 @04:39AM (#37402691)

Wouldn't a Starlink satellite qualify as an IOT edge device? How do you propose a user-servicable physical switch on a device in LEO?

Not all devices have easy or cost-effective physical access -- that's why IOT is particularly effective at bridging the digital-physical divide.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: I’m an FCC Commissioner proposing regulation of I... by fragmede on Saturday September 16, 2023 @03:11PM (#37537722)

Having a category for inaccessible things in LEO doesn't indict my point that things not in LEO are typically accessible.

[ Parent | on HN ]