jwz
People, the story about the toothbrush botnet does not pass the most basic sniff test.
• All articles point to a single source
• Target not named
• Researcher not named
Feb 6, 2024 at 10:49pmWeb
Show threadJeff AtwoodFeb 6, 2024
@jwz but.. but.. if Elon tweets about it?
Show threadDenys DmytriyenkoFeb 6, 2024
@codinghorror @jwz it's on the Internets! so it must be true!
Show threadDon WhitesideFeb 6, 2024
@codinghorror @jwz that just makes it likely racist, not true
Show threadMatt PalmerFeb 6, 2024
@jwz how many Swiss companies could there be, Michael?
Show threadGrey GooFeb 6, 2024
@jwz Thanks.
Show threadviqFeb 6, 2024
@jwz
So you're saying this story has no teeth and can be brushed off?
Show threadBill HookerFeb 7, 2024
@viq @jwz Boo! Hiss!
Show threadKee HinckleyFeb 7, 2024

@jwz The number of hacked toothbrushes also seemed large to me.

Are there multiple sources on the zoom deepfakes one? There are more details, but I haven’t seen anything about who or when.

Show threadjwzFeb 7, 2024
@nazgul The zoom deepfakes one being a fake would just be *chef kiss*
Show threadSupertapaniFeb 7, 2024

@jwz It is not only the toothbrushes. More often than not, people post screenshots of scandalous headlines, instead of links to articles. So we all get the hype, but no context, and now way of seeing where it comes from.

please, please stop doing that. Just add a source url with the image.

Show threadKensanFeb 7, 2024
@jwz I’ve read several articles here in Swiss Media and all of them more or less state the same and reference each other. The source for the statement seems to be this guy from Fortinet Switzerland, Maybe he can provide more info why they insist this was a real attack on a Swiss company. https://mastodon.social/@Kensan/111888840179218333
Show threadGeoff WinklessFeb 8, 2024
@Kensan @jwz anyone who still takes Fortinet seriously after their absolute security clusterfuck last year gets what they deserve.
Show threadKensanFeb 8, 2024
@Geoff @jwz It sure sounds like they were selling the story pretty hard and corporate from California is now blaming it on “Lost in Translation”. Not a good look but as you said… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ https://mastodon.social/@Kensan/111898240748402044
Show threadBill HookerFeb 7, 2024
@jwz Spoilsport!
Show threadJulian ElveFeb 8, 2024

@jwz indeed - as per the "Fortinet representative" quoted in ZDNet - " hypothetical and actual scenarios are blurred"

https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/smart-home/3-million-smart-toothbrushes-were-not-used-in-a-ddos-attack-but-they-could-have-been/

3 million smart toothbrushes were not used in a DDoS attack after all, but it could happen

[UPDATED] What's next, malware-infected dental floss? But seriously: It's a reminder that even the smallest smart home devices can be a threat. Here's how to protect yourself.

ZDNET
Show threadÓli Gneisti (English)Feb 8, 2024

Also...

* Story is too good.

@jwz

Show threadTimo GrünFeb 8, 2024
@jwz
“Smart Swiss Chocolate Bars Implicated in Privacy Invasion Scams“