Expert roasts web-enabled coffee maker

An Australian IT security specialist has discovered a number of security flaws after hooking up his coffee percolator to the web.

Craig Wright issued a warning to internet users about the dangers of so called 'web-enabled' appliances.

In this case the Jura F90 percolator is marketed as fully internet-compatible and allows the owner to start the machine and set the strength of the coffee over the web.

But a number of unpatched security flaws in the unit could allow a hacker to infiltrate a network or take over the machine by using it as a 'bridge'.

Geoff Sweeney, chief technology officer at Tier-3, said: "Making the coffee too weak is a problem that can easily be fixed, but if a remote hacker takes over your desktop PC you have a real problem on your hands."

The security expert added that internet users should be careful before hooking up the most benign of internet-enabled devices to the office network, as there may be unknown security flaws lurking and waiting to be discovered.

"IT security is not all about computers, servers and networks. It is about any network-connected device, even something as mundane as a coffee percolator, " he said.

"The internet is now so pervasive that you are going to see a lot more office devices, including, printers, PDAs, smartphones, coffee-makers and even fridges, capable of being hooked up to the corporate network and the internet.

"IT managers need to install behavioural analysis IT security technology to detect and lock down any unauthorised hacker incursions in real time, whether they came directly or indirectly via a coffee-maker."