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More frightening than an AI uprising: simultaneous physical terror from cyberattacks on smart locks and smart appliances by "tokuryu" criminal groups
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A Japanese blog post argues that the bigger danger from AI is not a robot uprising. It is hackers who attack smart locks and smart home devices, causing physical harm in many places at once. The author uses a recent French supermarket attack as an example.
What happened
A blogger reacted to a TBS talk show about AI. The show discussed how powerful AI tools could make cyberattacks easier. The blogger says the most real threat is not AI turning against humans. The real threat is hackers breaking into connected devices and causing physical damage. He points to a sauna that can be controlled over the internet as an example of how much is connected.
Key facts
- In France, cyberattacks hit refrigeration equipment at hundreds of supermarkets on the night of October 11 and day of October 12 (local time).
- Freezer temperatures were pushed up to 50 degrees Celsius. Fresh and frozen food was thrown away in large amounts.
- In some places, the attack also caused fires, according to reports.
- The attack changed a defrost setting so it kept running instead of stopping after a set time.
What is an A2B attack?
The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) warned about a method it calls an A2B attack. Attackers download a public app, study how it talks to its server, and then build an attack that fits that server. Hidden keys and server details can be found this way. AI tools can now do this kind of work quickly.
Why it matters
Digital harm, like a leaked password, can often be fixed by changing settings. But if a hacker takes control of a smart lock, someone could be physically attacked in their own home. The author says safety designs should fail to a safe state, but connected devices can fail into a dangerous state, such as a heater that stays on or a door that opens. For this reason, he says people should be careful about connecting devices that do not need internet access.
What to watch
- Whether French authorities find who carried out the supermarket attack.
- Whether device makers add stronger limits on the server side, not only in the app.
- Whether more reports of A2B-style attacks come from NICT or other groups.
- How people decide which devices really need an internet connection.