FULTON, Md., Jan. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ReFirm Labs, the provider of the industry's first proactive IoT and firmware security solutions, announced that one of its senior executives is offering commentary about how Iranian forces and their proxies can take advantage of security vulnerabilities in American installations around the globe.
Former National Security Agency (NSA) top firmware expert and considered the world's leading expert on firmware vulnerabilities and nation state attacks on IoT, Terry Dunlap is Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder of ReFirm Labs. A former "white hat" hacker at the NSA, he can detail how installations continue to use video surveillance equipment that has been proven to be insecure.
Congress specifically called out this equipment and demanded its removal in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019. These video systems can be remotely disabled, leaving installations blind to assaults like the recent attempted takeover of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
"These vulnerabilities are public knowledge, and Congress gave a deadline of August 13, 2019 to remove this security equipment from American installations," said Dunlap. "Iranian proxy forces could disable these systems and mount a surprise attack on installations across the Middle East. Complicating efforts to replace this equipment is the fact that sometimes American manufacturers simply repackage and relabel the insecure Chinese-made equipment. As long as this security equipment remains in place, American lives are at risk."
Dunlap was the first to point out deliberate "back doors" built into video equipment made by the Chinese firm Dahua. These cameras are banned by the U.S. government but remain in use, and were recently purchased by the city of Pittsburgh, PA. Dunlap was interviewed by network affiliate WTAE, video available here. To schedule a phone briefing with Dunlap, please contact Matt Langan, L&R Communications, at 202-262-3340.
Dunlap began his career as a penetration tester at Deloitte, then joined the NSA in 2002. As a Global Network Vulnerability Analyst at NSA, Terry used his hacking skills to electronically track down foreign adversaries and locate nefarious backdoors in embedded devices that could threaten national security. For his complete bio, please click here.
About ReFirm Labs
ReFirm Labs provides the industry's first IoT and firmware security solutions that proactively vet, validate and continuously monitor IoT devices from hidden threats. Its flagship product, Centrifuge Platform®, detects and reports potential zero-day exploits, hidden crypto keys, backdoor passwords and known vulnerabilities in IoT devices without needing access to source code. ReFirm Labs' technology has been proven to provide the insight and intelligence needed for users to proactively defend connected devices and maintain compliance and the integrity of supply chain security. Founded by a team of former NSA offensive cyber operators, ReFirm Labs is trusted by government agencies and Fortune 500 companies that operate in a wide variety of industries, including: telecommunications, cloud infrastructure and data centers, automotive, health care, utilities, and manufacturing. For more information, visit http://www.refirmlabs.com or follow on Twitter @ReFirmLabs.
SOURCE ReFirm Labs
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