The US Division of Homeland Safety has unveiled a dog-like robotic that it says has been tailored to jam the connectivity of sensible residence gadgets.
The DHS’s buy of “NEO,” developed by Ghost Robotics, was introduced to attendees throughout a speech on the Border Safety Expo in Texas, in keeping with a report by 404 Media, and is meant to overload residence networks with a lot site visitors that IoT gadgets will likely be successfully disabled.
“NEO can enter a doubtlessly harmful surroundings to supply video and audio suggestions to the officers earlier than entry and permit them to speak with these in that surroundings,” Â Benjamine Huffman, the director of DHS’s Federal Legislation Enforcement Coaching Facilities, instructed convention attendees. “NEO carries an onboard pc and antenna array that may enable officers the flexibility to create a ‘denial-of-service’ (DoS) occasion to disable Web of Issues gadgets that would doubtlessly trigger hurt whereas entry is made.”
In brief, NEO is extra of a DoS than a canine. Arf arf.
The canine-like robotic’s Wi-Fi-jamming functionality was apparently first conceived after a suspect in a toddler sexual abuse investigation used his IoT doorbell digicam to spy on FBI brokers at his entrance door, able to serve a search warrant. The resident used a weapon to shoot lifeless two brokers by way of the closed entrance door, and injure three extra.
It is simple to see the attraction of utilizing a robotic like NEO – it could actually carry out surveillance, communication, and be deployed in conditions the place legislation enforcement officers could be liable to damage or encountering booby-traps.
In fact, the police would should be cautious to make sure that any robotic they deployed is programmed to not assault frequencies that they themselves are utilizing.
And now we have to hope that such wireless-jamming expertise is not utilized by anybody for malicious functions.
If you happen to’re frightened about somebody jamming your wi-fi sensible residence gadgets, whether or not you might be prone to be visited by a robotic canine or not, then your greatest plan of action could also be to make use of old style hardwired gadgets as an alternative.
Breathe a sigh of reduction that, for now, the DHS doesn’t seem like planning any home calls with rifle-toting robotic canines.
