Do you think there is nothing more innocuous than a teddy bear? Expert on cyber security Rubin Paul will convince you that this is not so.
In his 11 years, Rubin is aware of the safety of the Internet more than most adults. He acted as a keynote speaker at the International One Conference-2017 international conference recently held in The Hague and surprised spectators by demonstrating how easily smart toys connected to the Internet can be used to steal confidential information.
Rubin explored all the vulnerabilities in his "smart" teddy bear, which connects to the Internet through a wireless network and has a built-in microphone. "With the help of this microphone, I managed to turn the toy into a spy device," he said..
Rubin connected a tiny Raspberry Pi single-board computer to the toy, scanned the conference room in search of devices equipped with Bluetooth, and gave the bear the command to set the names of people and phone numbers stored in the memory of these devices.
Those present in the room, especially those whose gadgets were hacked, were stunned.
This example perfectly proves the need to ensure cybersecurity in the conditions of rapid growth of the "Internet of things", when everyday objects are connected to the network and can communicate with one another. Rubin's bears showed how dangerous it could be.
"The 'Internet of Things' is the next generation of technologies, and we all have to agree," says Rubin.. "But people should be cautious, they should not unintentionally include any devices in the system without making sure of their safety".
Rubin became interested in cybersecurity at the age of six, his first teacher was a father, a specialist in this field. When Rubin turned eight, he made a presentation at a thematic conference in Louisville, Kentucky.
I liked the presentation, and Rubin was invited to the conference, both in the US and abroad.
He always warns about the danger of repeated use of the same password. "Many people," he says, "use the same password for both bank accounts and social media accounts. As a result, if a hacker manages to get the password, he gets full access to all the user's personal information ".
He considers it unsafe to connect to a wireless network in public places and advises regularly to update the operating system.
Rubin proposes to observe three basic principles of cybersecurity:.
Do not say too much, do not disclose personal information on the Internet;.
- Do not open questionable attachments to e-mail, download programs only from reliable sources;.
Do not trust "cybernews", otherwise you can become a victim of "phishing" or other malicious programs.
Rubin not only speaks at conferences, but also works in a non-profit organization whose purpose is to inform users about cyber threats. In addition, he is fond of gymnastics and kung fu.
"I want to create secure applications and video games and help protect all people and our entire country from cyberthreats," says an eleven-year-old expert. - But first, I need to finish the sixth grade ".