Canonical, the company behind top Linux distro Ubuntu, has announced a new variant of the open source operating system, optimized for IoT and edge devices.
With IoT, 5G and embedded devices becoming a larger part of everyone’s daily lives, security—and more importantly, trust in our technology—is on everyone’s minds. Embedded devices don’t have a good security track record; the last several years saw a significant number of high-profile hacks that could prevent people from widely accepting IoT into their homes.
Security researchers have found and reported 14 vulnerabilities in the BusyBox userspace tool that's used in millions of embedded devices running Linux-based firmware. While the flaws don't have high criticality, some of them do have the potential to result in remote code execution (RCE). These flaws highlight the need for consistent IoT updates.
Imagine reading a headline in tomorrow’s news stating that your neighbor’s identity was stolen and their life savings cleaned out by criminals who entered through their ‘smart’ washing machine. Sound ridiculous? Well, have you checked your own home Wi-Fi network lately?
The Linux Foundation is teaming up with companies like Target, Microsoft and Veritone to create the Open Voice Network, an initiative designed to "prioritize trust and standards" in voice-focused technology. Linux Foundation representatives said the Open Voice Network would support the platforms by "delivering standards and usage guidelines for voice assistant systems that are trustworthy, inclusive and open."
A project that aims to put an ultra-tiny Linux board in a standard USB wall charger is in the works. Such a device could be installed at a target location and phone home over the Internet, providing a back door into what might be an otherwise secure network.
