In The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch, Laura DeNardis offers an exploration of the invisible, complex and concerning worldwide network of technologies often referred to as the Internet of Things, focusing particularly on the pressing issues of governance and jurisdiction. Courteney J. O’Connor highly recommends this well researched and impeccably written text to political scientists, security practitioners and scholars as well as the interested public

O’Connor, Courteney J.

English

O'Connor, Courteney J.

LSE Research Online

Book review: The internet in everything: freedom and security in a world with no off switch by Laura Denardis

Book	Review:	The	Internet	in	Everything:	Freedomand	Security	in	a	World	with	No	Off	Switch	by	LauraDeNardisIn	The	Internet	in	Everything:	Freedom	and	Security	in	a	World	with	No	Off	Switch,	Laura	DeNardis	offers	anexploration	of	the	invisible,	complex	and	concerning	worldwide	network	of	technologies	often	referred	to	as	theInternet	of	Things,	focusing	particularly	on	the	pressing	issues	of	governance	and	jurisdiction.	Courteney	J.O’Connor	highly	recommends	this	well	researched	and	impeccably	written	text	to	political	scientists,	securitypractitioners	and	scholars	as	well	as	the	interested	public.The	Internet	in	Everything:	Freedom	and	Security	in	a	World	with	No	Off	Switch.	Laura	DeNardis.	YaleUniversity	Press.	2020.One	of	the	most	pressing	concerns	in	contemporary	cybersecurity	scholarship	is	howthe	‘Internet	of	Things’	is	affecting,	and	will	affect,	both	individual	security	and	privacyand	the	security	of	the	state.	As	more	and	more	devices	connect	to	the	internet	andbecome	integrated	into	every	aspect	of	daily	life,	there	is	an	ongoing	battle	betweendevice	efficacy	and	device	security,	between	device	utility	and	individual	privacy,between	security	threat	and	threat	mitigation.Items	as	simple	as	Fitbit	watches,	for	example,	release	enough	data	into	the	etherthat	entire	military	bases	have	been	mapped	based	on	soldier	movements.	Digitaldevices	are	woven	into	the	fabric	of	everyday	life	in	contemporary	societies,	and	theinternet	has	become	so	integrated	that	it	is	also	becoming	invisible:	many	people	maynot	actually	realise	that	their	(many)	smart	devices	are	connected	to	the	internet	at	all.This	growing	Internet	of	Things,	this	burgeoning	network	of	digital	and	interconnecteddevices,	is	rapidly	diminishing	the	line	between	physical	and	virtual,	betweenconnected	and	switched	off,	between	logged	in	and	logged	out.The	Internet	in	Everything	is	an	exploration	of	this	invisible,	complex	and	concerningworldwide	network	of	technologies	that	we	refer	to	as	the	Internet	of	Things,	or	the	IoT.	More	specifically,	authorLaura	DeNardis	explores	the	consequences,	proven	and	potential,	of	the	degradation	of	and	attacks	on	cyber-physical	infrastructures.	Governance	and	jurisdiction	are	particularly	pressing	concerns	that	are	masterfullyexamined	throughout	the	text.The	Internet	is	no	longer	merely	a	communication	system	connecting	people	and	information.	It	is	asystem	connecting	vehicles,	wearable	devices,	home	appliances,	drones,	medical	equipment,	currency,and	every	conceivable	industry	sector.	Cyberspace	now	completely	and	often	imperceptibly	permeatesoffline	spaces,	blurring	boundaries	between	virtual	and	physical	worlds	(3).As	an	evaluation	of	the	current	state	of	the	IoT,	DeNardis	produces	here	one	of	the	starkest	and	cleareststatements	available	to	scholars	and	practitioners	of	security	whose	work	has	any	relevance	to	cyberspace.	Theinternet	has	truly	become	part	of	every	aspect	of	not	only	individual	lives,	but	also	of	the	systems	and	structuresthat	form	the	very	foundation	of	modern	society.	We	are,	in	fact,	so	reliant	on	networked	technologies	that	as	wellas	being	extremely	valuable	to	the	wealth	and	security	of	most	(if	not	all)	states,	cyberspace	is	also	an	issue	ofserious	concern	with	respect	to	the	security	of	systems	that	support	the	governance	and	functions	of	not	justindividual	nations,	but	the	entire	international	system.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Book Review: The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch by LauraDeNardisPage 1 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-11-08Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/11/08/book-review-the-internet-in-everything-freedom-and-security-in-a-world-with-no-off-switch-by-laura-denardis/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/Thisraisesmanyquestions	about	the	method	and	efficacy	of	security	measures	given	the	multitude	of	threat	vectors	as	well	as	theways	that	security	might	change	as	society	continues	to	advance	and	rely	on	networked	technologies.	This	willhave	implications	for	the	structure	of	the	workforce,	the	types	of	technologies	(and	infrastructures)	required	and	thejurisdiction	over	and	governance	of	these	same	elements.	As	DeNardis	asks	early	in	the	text,	‘what	does	theInternet	embedding	into	the	physical	world	mean	for	consumer	safety	and	national	security?’	(4).	After	all,	cyber-enabled	technologies	are	not	only	in	devices	around	us;	they	are	also	now	in	devices	that	can	be	placed	inside	us.Any	individual	with	a	modern	implanted	cardiac	device,	for	example,	is	an	active	part	of	the	IoT.	The	body,	just	asmuch	as	the	surrounding	built	environment,	has	become	part	of	the	digital	object	space.	New	technologies	and	newvarieties	of	devices	connecting	to	the	internet,	DeNardis	rightly	points	out,	are	going	to	require	a	reassessment	ofand	novel	approaches	toward	internet	governance	and	the	cyber-physical	infrastructure	that	underpins	ourincreasingly	networked	societies	(24).	In	other	words,	we	now	have	an	Internet	of	Everything.Cyber-physical	systems	can	safely	be	described	as	ubiquitous,	particularly	in	societies	that	have	embracedadvanced	technologies	and	platforms	as	part	of	daily	life	and	efficient	governance.	The	enormous	variety	of	devicesthat	form	part	of	this	global	network	includes	everything	from	footballs	to	door	locks,	light	bulbs	to	oxygen	monitors,televisions	to	watches,	traffic	cameras	to	refrigerators,	many	of	which	are	also	connected	to	home	assistants(‘Alexa,	turn	off	the	lights’)	and/or	controlled	by	a	phone	app.	This	means	a	continual	stream	of	data	betweenappliance	and	controller,	usually	transmitted	(at	least	in	part)	over	public	internet	and	potentially	unsecurednetworks	(29-31).All	of	these	items,	devices	and	systems	represent	new	threat	vectors,	the	true	vulnerability	of	which	may	not	beimmediately	apparent	until	an	enterprising	mind	decides	to	take	advantage.	DeNardis	uses	as	an	example	the	caseof	hackers	accessing	and	exploiting	the	network	of	a	casino	by	first	infiltrating	the	WiFi-connected	fish	tank	(103).While	an	amusing	anecdote,	it	is	also	an	alarming	and	clear	example	of	the	vulnerabilities	that	are	proliferatingacross	public	and	private	spaces.Exploitation	of	cyber-physical	infrastructures	can	even	contribute	to	threats	against	political	sovereignty,	notable	inthe	cases	of	disinformation	and	interference	campaigns	against	the	elections	of	modern	democracies.	Informationwarfare	can	be	undertaken	utilising	data	exfiltrated	illegally	(and	usually	covertly)	from	‘secure’	systems	–	socialengineering,	already	advanced	in	many	ways,	becomes	much	more	highly	targeted	and	tailored	when	data	isavailable	in	significant	quantity	(106-107).	This,	of	course,	has	many	implications	for	the	legitimacy	of	governanceand	authority,	as	well	as	the	integrity	of	and	public	trust	in	democratic	institutions	such	as	elections.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Book Review: The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch by LauraDeNardisPage 2 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-11-08Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/11/08/book-review-the-internet-in-everything-freedom-and-security-in-a-world-with-no-off-switch-by-laura-denardis/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/That	the	physical	infrastructures	that	support	the	global	internet	are	within	(and	cross)	sovereign	borders	issomething	that	tends	to	be	forgotten,	due	to	the	prevalence	of	claims	about	the	decentralisation	and	border-agnostic	nature	of	data	and	logical	architecture	(189).	This	requires,	and	has	yet	to	receive,	a	global	approach	toinfrastructure,	policy	and	security	to	secure	the	future	openness	and	freedom	of	cyber-physical	technologies	andnetworks.	Because	no	one	state	(or	more	appropriately,	the	private	corporations	of	one	state)	control	the	entirety	ofthe	infrastructure	of	cyberspace,	a	multilateral	approach	to	the	problems	surrounding	cyber	vulnerabilities	and	thediffusion	of	insecure	cyber-enabled	technologies	is	a	necessity	going	forward.	DeNardis	identifies	the	need	not	onlyto	move	from	a	content	lens	(concerning	freedom	of	speech,	disinformation,	intellectual	property)	to	aninfrastructure	lens	(concerning	platforms	and	systems)	in	discussions	of	cybersecurity,	but	also	to	recognise	thatcybersecurity	is	a	growing	human	rights	issue,	and	that	greater	clarity	surrounding	liability	and	jurisdiction	in	thecyber-physical	space	is	needed	–	and	quickly	(215).This	is	a	very	well	researched	and	impeccably	written	text.	While	dense	in	terms	of	the	information	and	discussionprovided,	particularly	in	the	sections	concerning	the	technical	areas,	The	Internet	in	Everything	remains	easy	toread	and	the	lines	of	argument	and	discussion	are	clear	and	succinct.	I	do	not	hesitate	to	recommend	this	volumeto	political	scientists,	security	practitioners	and	scholars	as	well	as	the	interested	public.This	article	originally	appeared	at	the	LSE	Review	of	Books.Image	Credit:	Photo	by	Franck	on	Unsplash.	Please	read	our	comments	policy	before	commenting.	Note:	This	article	gives	the	views	of	the	authors,	and	not	the	position	of	USAPP–	American	Politics	and	Policy,	norof	the	London	School	of	Economics.	Shortened	URL	for	this	post:	https://bit.ly/32iubtmAbout	the	reviewers	Courteney	J.	O’Connor	–	The	Australian	National	UniversityCourteney	J.	O’Connor	is	a	PhD	candidate	with	the	National	Security	College	of	The	Australian	National	University.Her	research	considers	the	securitisation	of	cyberspace	and	the	development	of	cyber	counterintelligence	policyand	practice.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Book Review: The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch by LauraDeNardisPage 3 of 3		Date originally posted: 2020-11-08Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/11/08/book-review-the-internet-in-everything-freedom-and-security-in-a-world-with-no-off-switch-by-laura-denardis/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/

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Book review: The internet in everything: freedom and security in a world with no off switch by Laura Denardis

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