It’s no secret threats in cyberspace come in all shapes and sizes, but it was reiterated at the Defense Intelligence Agency’s DoDIIS Worldwide Conference in St. Louis.

“Today sophisticated hackers use simple electronic devices like remote control cars or other smart toys to gain access to our most sensitive data,” Janice Glover-Jones, DIA CIO, said during the opening presentation at DoDIIS August 14. “Skilled cyber actors don’t need to spend years or decades honing or refining their craft to inflict significant damage.”

Personifying how anyone can be a threat, 11-year-old Reuben Paul, who is a CEO of a cyber nonprofit, demonstrated how to hack into a toy bear with Bluetooth-enabled voice capabilities so he could record the conversation between him and Jones.

When asked by Jones what this demonstration could mean from a malicious standpoint, Paul said he could theoretically stand outside a government facility, connect to a low-energy Bluetooth device such as a Fitbit and record secret conversations. He also noted he could stand outside a doctor’s office and connect to a pacemaker and turn it off, which would cause “some serious damage.”

Glover-Jones noted how the community must adapt to this reality.

Mark Pomerleau is a reporter for C4ISRNET, covering information warfare and cyberspace.

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