When beehives become digital, security becomes an issue
This project, led by Javan Rasokat, focuses on protecting data and IoT components from cyber-attacks and malware. This innovative idea combines Javan’s expertise as a Senior Application Security Specialist and his passion for beekeeping.
He aims to fortify beekeeping practices by using advanced technology to ensure data security and shield IoT components from potential threats.
Learn more details about the project
Any device connected to the internet is vulnerable to attacks by hackers or as unwilling malware distributors. There is no need to worry for beekeepers that outsiders might hack into their digital setup and for example collect or even publicly share data collected about the weight, temperature, or humidity of the beehive. Yet, the OT components, the PLC controls and of course the mobile devices or computers, which are used to monitor or run the “smarthive” could be misused by attackers to distribute malware or bugs.
Javan Rasokat is a Senior Application Security Specialist, who identifies weak spots in any sort of digital or IT/OT environment and helps protect the system against potential threats. As he is also a passionate beekeeper in his spare time, Javan was happy to bee-come part of the Beehyve swarm intelligence project powered by PLCnext Technology. His contribution for this global campaign to utilize modern technology to improve the job of beekeepers and ultimately the life of bees is to develop methods of making sure that all devices and data involved in digital beekeeping efforts are safe and sound.
Three questions to Javan Rasokat
We are curious to get to know the people behind the ideas. Who are the members of the team?
At a very young age I began to automate online games using bots and identified security bugs, which I then reported to the game operators. This was the beginning of my career as an application security analyst really. Eventually I moved on from video games to analyzing the security setups of small and large companies, and to consult them in advancing their security tactics. Lately I have been giving speeches at international security conferences including OWASP AppSec SanFran, Ekoparty, and HITB Singapore presenting my insights.
How did you come up with this idea and what was your motivation behind it?
As a passionate beekeeper myself, I have been experimenting with including modern technology into my hives. For example, I utilized a Raspberry Pi to monitor my beehives. This project is called Honey Pi and is still active.
So through using automation tools on my private beehives came the contact and involvement with the Beehyve project.
Bees are remarkable animals, but which bee fact surprised or impressed you the most?
To me it is most fascinating how a bee population works together in perfect harmony to accomplish their mutual goal. For the male drones that means inseminating the queen bee once and then dying. What a tremendous dedication. This sort of joint effort makes you wonder what humans were capable of, if they would also work together in perfect harmony rather than being in competition.
