Items tagged with University of Michigan
Buying into the Internet of Things (IoT) movement that's emerging means putting a great deal of trust into the cloud. It's a double-edged sword, because on the one hand the cloud is key to smart conveniences offered by IoT devices, but it also introduces risk. In case we need reminding of the latter, cybersecurity researchers at the University of Michigan showcased a series of proof-of-concept attacks targeting Samsung's popular SmartThings platform. One of their creations is a lock-pick malware app. What it does is eavesdrop on someone setting up a new PIN code for a door lock and then sends the PIN in a text message to a hacker. The researchers disguised the malware as a smart battery monitor,...
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Word to the wise -- be careful crossing through intersections, even when you have a green light. We don't want to overstate the threat, but apparently you really can hack into a traffic signal and change the light, just as you've seen in countless Hollywood films featuring the token computer hacker. This was proven by a team of researchers at the University of Michigan. The small team of five consisting of students from the school's electrical engineering and computer science departments published a paper title "Green Lights Forever (PDF)," and in it, they outlined the discovery of a "number of security flaws that exist due to systemic failures by the designers." Moreover, they explained in the...
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Little Kaiba Gionfriddo was born with a condition where his bronchus would collapse and cut off airflow to his lungs. He would stop breathing from time to time, and eventually he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with tracheobronchomalacia. His parents were told that he had a low chance of survival. Baby Kaiba’s doctors reached out to doctors Glenn Greene and Scott Hollister at the University of Michigan, who were developing a 3D printed bioresorbable device that could save Kaiba’s life (and anyone else born with that particular affliction). The tiny tracheal splint essentially widens the bronchus and also provides support and stability so it doesn’t collapse. 3D-printed...
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