In recent years, sophisticated and daring cyberattacks have grabbed the headlines and the attention of the public. Both Miller and Valasek’s famous attack on a Chrysler Jeep as referenced in their 2015 paper “Remote Exploitation of an Unaltered Passenger Vehicle” and a separate, sophisticated attack on the Ukraine power grid that same year involved highly motivated, organized, qualified and professional individuals with considerable resources at their disposal. 

It would be easy to conclude that all hackers fit that description. But in fact, hacking is easy, requires very little technical skill, and is widely seen as an easy way to make money by the unscrupulous. Here’s why that should concern anyone developing a connected application or device.