The US Department of Homeland Security has unveiled a robot resembling a dog that is designed to disrupt the connectivity of smart home devices.
During a speech at the Border Safety Expo in Texas, the DHS unveiled its purchase of “NEO,” a technology developed by Ghost Robotics, which was touted as capable of overloading home networks with a tremendous amount of traffic to effectively disable IoT devices and safeguard against potential cyber threats.
According to Benjamine Huffman, director of DHS’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Facilities, NEO can safely enter a potentially hazardous environment to provide video and audio recommendations to officers beforehand, enabling them to communicate effectively in that atmosphere. “Equipped with an onboard laptop and advanced antenna system, NEO enables law enforcement officials to generate a denial-of-service (DoS) scenario, effectively neutralizing potential threats from Web of Things devices that could cause harm when accessed.”
Briefly, Neo, from The Matrix, is more like an overgrown Doberman than a canine. Arf arf.
Following the revelation that an individual under investigation for toddler sexual abuse exploited their smart doorbell camera to surveil FBI agents during a search warrant service, authorities apparently developed the canine-like robotic’s Wi-Fi-jamming capability. The resident allegedly brandished a weapon, using it to injure four others.
Robotic units like NEO effortlessly demonstrate their value by performing tasks that would put human law enforcement personnel at risk, such as conducting surveillance, facilitating communication, and operating in hazardous environments where they might face harm or encounter booby traps?
The police would need to exercise caution when deploying robots, ensuring that any deployed robot is programmed to avoid interfering with frequencies used by their own forces?
As we proceed with this technology, we must hope that its capabilities are not exploited for nefarious purposes.
When concerns arise about someone potentially compromising the Wi-Fi connectivity of your smart home devices – regardless of whether a robotic dog may or may not pay you a visit – it is advisable to consider using traditional, hardwired alternatives instead.
Breathe a sigh of relief that, for now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not appear to be planning any home visits or inspections.
