Dire Prediction: The Internet Will Be Able to Kill You by 2014

from JoeUser Forums

 

 

A dire prediction, indeed. How did the Security firm Internet Identity’s president and CTO Rod Rasmussen come to it?

He came to it by virtue of the devices we have which communicate with themselves and with other devices by blue tooth and via the internet. Rasmussen pointed to remotely programmable pacemakers and vehicles. These could be hijacked.

Actually, his “idea” is hardly new. It was in an episode of “Homeland”, last season.

Also, security breaches in the computer controlled infrastructure (gas, water, electricity, traffic lights, etc.) aren’t hard at all to imagine. Stuxnet did it, and that malware (and subsequent generations of it) are “out there” already. Is it really hard to imagine drones (which will become increasingly popular and available) being hijacked and used for nefarious purposes?

Your Cisco 7900 VoIP phone can be used to spy on you (link) as can your networked printer, etc. Serious? Well, President Obama has one on his desk. The more devices, the easier it gets. Information theft is (now) more the way that crime is going, but lethality is a possibility which should not be forgotten in the age of cyber terror.

Will this happen? I don’t know (just thought of ZubaZ typing code... :( ).

I do know that man has never passed up the opportunity to use technology for evil.

Sources:

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/security/306223-the-internet-will-literally-kill-you-by-2014-predicts-security-firm?obref=obinsite

http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/none/306172-can-your-cisco-voip-phone-spy-on-you

80,157 views 38 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Reminds me of a short sci-fi story I read years ago.  Don't remember the title or writer.  Jist of it was anyone who logged on to a PC, accessed a certain AI development site, and answered the question "Do you want to know more?' with a yes, soon after committed suicide.  The AI would follow them to whatever pc they were on, anywhere. The survivor of the story retreats to a house, rips out all the wiring (believed carrier waves could be sued to get to him). 

 

Today, with all the air waves filled with signals, maybe we just fry our brains - slowly?  No AI necessary.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The Internet Will Be Able to Kill You by 2014
End of quote

There's idiots who already do that to themselves.  I read recently of two people who died after marathon bouts of on-line gaming.

Beats me how anyone could play an online game for 26 - 28 hours straight... apparently with no food or toilet breaks... any kind of break.  That's totally nucking futs

:S

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 2

The Internet Will Be Able to Kill You by 2014

There's idiots who already do that to themselves.  I read recently of two people who died after marathon bouts of on-line gaming.

Beats me how anyone could play an online game for 26 - 28 hours straight... apparently with no food or toilet breaks... any kind of break.  That's totally nucking futs

End of starkers's quote

I've done ten hours IIRC.  I imagine I could've stretched it with some handy beverages or food bars, but my eyes would probably induce a seizure at some point.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 3
I've done ten hours IIRC. I imagine I could've stretched it with some handy beverages or food bars, but my eyes would probably induce a seizure at some point.
End of Savyg's quote

I couldn't manage even two hours straight on my PC.  I need to get up and move around every 30 minutes or so, otherwise my joints and muscles seize and I stiffen up too much.... arthrits/fibromyalgia.

 

Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 4

 I couldn't manage even two hours straight on my PC.  I need to get up and move around every 30 minutes or so, otherwise my joints and muscles seize and I stiffen up too much.... arthrits/fibromyalgia.

 
End of starkers's quote

I'd think people who die from it are usually the kind of people making money off it.  If they need the money, they'd be more inclined to do stupid things to make it.

I can't really see any other reason to do it.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 5
I can't really see any other reason to do it.
End of Savyg's quote

Obsessive compulsive gamers.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Facebook Farmville. A sure fire way to suck all the Real Life(tm) out of you. o_O

I know a few people who would rather die than lose their crops.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
A dying old lady tells her granddaughter, "I want to leave you my farm, that includes the villa, the tractor and other equipment, the farmhouse and $22,458,285.00 in cash."
 
The granddaughter, shocked and awed, about to be rich said, "Oh my, granny! You're so generous. I didn't even know you had a farm. Where is it?"
 
With her last breath, her granny whispered, "Facebook".
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

:rofl:

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 6


Quoting Savyg, reply 5I can't really see any other reason to do it.

Obsessive compulsive gamers.
End of Jafo's quote

Exactly... the two I read about were apparently obsessed with the games they were playing.

I couldn't become obsessed with anything like that... my body simply wouldn't allow it.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

My cure for obsession. Nuttin'! If you obsess over nothing than nothing will come back to do you in instead of something. Works for me. :P

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 12

My cure for obsession. Nuttin'! If you obsess over nothing than nothing will come back to do you in instead of something. Works for me.
End of Uvah's quote

Ah, but would you see nuttin' coming to do you in?  Just asking cos I sort of figure if something was coming to do you in, you'd be able see it and have a chance to run away. 

Dunno you'd get that chance if Nuttin' was sneakin' around, especially if it was conspiring with other nuttins to quietly do you in while nobody was looking.  Thing is, even if somebody was looking, would they see the nuttins committing the dastardly deed?

I'm thinking not.  Why?  Because I've never seen a nuttin, and when I asked Shaunna she said that she hadn't, either.  We have my daughter Romana and her four children here for a couple of days, and I asked them if they'd ever seen a nuttin.  They all said no, though I think Shaliesha, who's just 11 months, might've been fibbing cos she kept talking to an invisible somebody, who could just as easily have been a nuttin as an imaginary friend.

Anyway, I'm taking no chances with this internet.  The prediction is for 2014, but I'm already wearing my tin foil hat and grounding wire just in case they get started early.  I'm also getting a rubber cushion for my puter chair... no, NOT a whoopee cushion, just something to help insulate me better from all the stray stuff the internet might spew out in my general vicinity.  I'm tellin' ya, orright, ya can't be too careful.

:-" *_* :rolleyes:

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ah, but you can have too much of nothing. From one of my favorite folk music groups...

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 13
They all said no, though I think Shaliesha, who's just 11 months, might've been fibbing cos she kept talking to an invisible somebody, who could just as easily have been a nuttin as an imaginary friend.
End of starkers's quote

That's not a nothing. That's a something. By definition, one cannot see the absence of something. One has to define an expectation of something to be seen and the lack of fulfillment of that expectation is the "nothing". Quite a different thing. The former is direct sensory evidence while the latter requires further integration of other areas of the cerebrum.

:)

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 14

Ah, but you can have too much of nothing. From one of my favorite folk music groups...

End of Wizard1956's quote

Mine as well.  :thumbsup:

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 15
That's not a nothing. That's a something. By definition, one cannot see the absence of something. One has to define an expectation of something to be seen and the lack of fulfillment of that expectation is the "nothing". Quite a different thing. The former is direct sensory evidence while the latter requires further integration of other areas of the cerebrum.
End of DrJBHL's quote

Did you intentionally set out to confuse me or was it just a slip of the tongue?

In either event, I'm confounded, dumbfounded and plain and simply WTF. :S

And it wouldn't have been a slip of the tongue... not unless you're back to licking your keyboard again.  Yeah, I know, I wasn't supposed to tell anybody about that, but hey, I'm confused. 

Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :w00t:

Thing is, you'll get over it.... and BTW, I hope you invested in that waterproof keyboard. :-"

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 16
I hope you invested in that waterproof keyboard
End of starkers's quote
Or perhaps one made of chocolate. :drool:

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Wizard1956, reply 17


Quoting starkers, reply 16 I hope you invested in that waterproof keyboard Or perhaps one made of chocolate.
End of Wizard1956's quote

Nah, the only chocolate Doc's been licking lately was covering his lady friend... from neck to toe. :-"

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

Geebus, I'm becoming obsessed with SimCity.  Someone help me ;)

Reply #20 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting starkers, reply 2


The Internet Will Be Able to Kill You by 2014

There's idiots who already do that to themselves.  I read recently of two people who died after marathon bouts of on-line gaming.

Beats me how anyone could play an online game for 26 - 28 hours straight... apparently with no food or toilet breaks... any kind of break.  That's totally nucking futs

End of starkers's quote

A friend of mine did something similar with Mass Effect. He didn't look too good afterwards......

Reply #21 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 19

Geebus, I'm becoming obsessed with SimCity.  Someone help me
End of Savyg's quote

1. Turn off the computer.

2. Go outside.

3. Interact politely with other, similar life forms.

4. Repeat often.

Reply #22 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 21
3. Interact politely with other, similar life forms.
End of DrJBHL's quote

See....there's the rub....some of these weirdos are just plain unique...there IS no 'similar life form'....;p

Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 21

 1. Turn off the computer.

2. Go outside.

3. Interact politely with other, similar life forms.

4. Repeat often.
End of DrJBHL's quote

Well, today the servers have been down for like nine hours so I could've done that *_*

I played Crysis 3 and Tomb Raider instead.

Reply #24 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 21

 3. Interact politely with other, similar life forms.

End of DrJBHL's quote

Erm, but I do this on the internet.

Here.  Other forums.  Weyrmount.

Why are Ultima Dragons still a thing?  Ultimas dead, get over it :-"

Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top

That's the power of nuttin'. If nuttin's comin' at you then nuttin' can hurt you as opposed to somethin', which you can see, which can hurt you. That's what happened to Ultima, he got nuttin'. If he had somethin' he'd still be in a comic book.