In Laura DeNardis’ latest paper, “The Internet of Things as a Global Policy Frontier,” she discusses current concerns, questions, and policy implications revolving around cyber physical systems. As DeNardis points out, these systems are now “colloquially called the Internet of Things” (476), as they link together not only people and information, but also everyday objects that collect data in order to interact with the real world. Throughout the course of the paper, DeNardis makes her argument clear that “the Internet of Things is not merely a local jurisdiction…but an international Internet governance concern” (478). In other words, it is a global issue with serious implications for the lives of citizens around the world.
I found this discussion to be particularly interesting and relevant due to the fact that I am from Atlanta, which recently experienced a cyber physical system collapse when the Hartsfield-Jackson airport lost power. While it is believed to be an electrical fire that led to the power outage, the incident was a stark reminder of interconnected all systems are, and how a direct cyber-attack could have led to the same outcome without the total power outage. This ties in to DeNardis’ discussion of human security concerns of the Internet of Things – according to her, the “most serious human security concern…pertains to injury or loss of life from disruption to key cyber physical systems such as electrical grids, health systems, and transportation systems” (486). The Atlanta Airport incident pointed out how vastly unprepared the city was for such a disaster, which could make it an easy target for a devastating cyber-attack that purposely disrupted electrical systems.
Human security was just one of many global public interest concerns DeNardis raised about the expansion of cyber physical systems. Others included critical resource constraints, such as limited virtual identifiers and the electromagnetic spectrum, privacy issues, complications of international security, and the tension between innovation and security while maintaining global competition. All of these are cross-border issues, meaning they can’t be constricted to the concerns of any one local place or nation, and require global policy intervention. As DeNardis explains, any potential resolution of these concerns requires the ongoing expansion of cyber physical system education – in order to successfully resolve disputes, those involved must have the “expertise to deal sensibly and appropriately with the policy implications of cyber physical systems” (497).
While DeNardis mentions some of the dangers of smart devices in the Internet of Things – such as data collected potentially being used as blackmail – I have a particular interest in the development of voice-enabled virtual assistants, and would like to pose questions revolving around this topic. In particular, I would like to ask how DeNardis sees these voice-assistants fitting into the issues she raised about the private sector developing products without concern for cybersecurity, and whether or not she believes privacy issues will eventually hamper this innovation.
DeNardis, Laura and Mark Raymond. “The Internet of Things as a Global Policy Frontier.” 2017, pp. 475 – 497.
— Janna Swanson
MDST 4559 Cyber War 