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Comment by blhack | Hacker News Reader

That was a nod to an actual hack that happened back in 2014: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/02/target-hackers-broke-in-...

And my comment was also a nod to that prominent hack. The discussion back then revolved a lot around the idea that Target had done a really good job of hardening most of their network, but then allowed a smart HVAC controller onto it. What seemed at the time like something minor (I believe it was a remote diagnostic device or something like that) is what the intruders used to gain access.

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Your article seems to directly contradict the idea that any sort of IoT / "smart" device was involved:

> Fazio Mechanical Services just issued an official statement through a PR company, stating that its “data connection with Target was exclusively for electronic billing, contract submission and project management.”

We should all remember to read PR statements with the assumption they aim to be technically true but come with an intent to deceive. Because what you quoted is a weaselly statement, and it neatly avoids answering the underlying questions.

Namely: was that "exclusively" a contractual exclusion or a technically sound, enforceable exclusion? And on top of that, how was it secured? If the connection setup was breached, what was the maximum blast radius?

None of those questions seem to be relevant to whether or not there was some sort of smart device involved.

I'm sorry, but in this case I disagree. Whether the device was smart or not is irrelevant.

If there is a connected device in a supposedly otherwise secure network that allows traffic in or calls home, that device is an attack vector. Pure and simple. The only safe assumption is that such a thing is an insecure, unmaintainable black box that was put together by the cheapest fly-by-night contractor.

A "smart" device is worse, and guaranteed to be a dumpster fire. One should not be allowed anywhere near a secure network, regardless of its function. Printers, VoIP phones, climate control systems, ... they're all the same.

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